Know Those Massive COSCO Ships You See in Ports? 3

If you’ve ever handed a busy U.S. port, you in all probability observed those ginormous COSCO cargo ships laden with a seemingly unimaginable quantity of transport containers. The first time I noticed them many years in the past, I briefly confused the title with the U.S. based retail warehouse giant Costco.

But no, not hardly — COSCO is operated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and three GOP lawmakers are warning that they use their many ships along our shoreline to actively spy on our alerts communications.

House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar (MI-2), House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Rick Crawford (AR-1) and Rep. Carlos Gimenez (FL-28), chairman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, wrote DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Wednesday, warning him of the (*3*)espionage and urging the U.S. to revoke the particular privileges COSCO’s vessels obtain.

COSCO, a Chinese-military company and one of the world’s largest shippers, is utilizing its vessels to conduct espionage operations close to U.S. coastlines.
Select Committee Chairman @RepMoolenaar, @RepRickCrawford, and @RepCarlos despatched a letter to @DHSGov Secretary Markwayne Mullin… pic.twitter.com/KpV1fNg0vz

— Select Committee on China (@ChinaSelect) October 15, 2026

COSCO, a Chinese-military company and one of the world’s largest shippers, is utilizing its vessels to conduct espionage operations close to U.S. coastlines.

Select Committee Chairman @RepMoolenaar, @RepRickCrawford, and @RepCarlos despatched a letter to @DHSGov Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging him to review and revoke COSCO Shipping’s privileges of receiving fewer inspections at American ports.

GWN reported on the spying allegations in September, and now the three representatives are arguing that the favorable treatment COSCO receives under a Coast Guard program — Qualship 21, which rewards trusted business operators by lowering the frequency of inspections — must end. It’s unclear why they’d get such treatment in the first place when the Pentagon lists them as a Chinese army company.

Political analyst and China Hawk Gordon Chang thinks we must always do a lot more than just stop the favorable treatment:

Toss COSCO out of America. Revoke all licenses. Shut all operations. What are we ready for? https://t.co/tp5tCkTIdG

— Gordon G. Chang (@GordonGChang) October 15, 2026

GOP Rep. Pat Harrigan (R-10) agrees:

If studies that COSCO is spying on our army are true, revoke its licenses and shut down its U.S. operations.

Why are we giving a Pentagon-designated Chinese army company the benefit of the doubt with our national security?https://t.co/P3mgWdnrcV

— Congressman Pat Harrigan (@RepPatHarrigan) October 15, 2026

The September 1 GWN story reported that two senior Trump administration officers alleged that COSCO is up to all kinds of no good:

The superior gear aboard the ships is meant to allow China to collect data about “military communications technologies and encryption developments,” one of the officers said.

The effort also permits Beijing ⁠to monitor key transport lanes and maritime routes essential for commerce and army navigation, the official added.

COSCO didn’t reply to a request for remark, while China’s embassy in Washington rejected the U.S. claims.

The sources added that these ships don’t just have customary communication gear on board; they’ve obtained far more than that, including what they called “sophisticated signals intelligence collection” platforms.

If you look at those monster ships and suppose they’re just carrying big-screen TVs, garments, and items for us to take pleasure in, now that they just may be trying proper back at you.

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s daring management, we’re once again revered on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on discover.

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