The United States Department of Justice said two Chinese nationals have been charged with acting as illegal agents of the Chinese government.
The department said on Wednesday that the individuals attempted to recruit American military service members to provide sensitive national security information.
The suspects, identified as Yuance Chen, 38, and Liren “Ryan” Lai, 39, were arrested on Friday and made their initial court appearances Monday in Houston, Texas and Portland, Oregon, respectively.
They are accused of conducting covert intelligence operations inside the United States on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), the country's primary civilian intelligence agency.
According to prosecutors, Chen and Lai allegedly attempted to obtain classified US military information, gather US Navy intelligence, and recruit active-duty military personnel to assist Chinese intelligence efforts.
‘Aggressive effort to undermine security’
Attorney General Pamela Bondi described the case as part of a broader strategy by Beijing to compromise American defence from within.
“This case underscores the Chinese government’s sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within,” Bondi said in a statement.
FBI Director Kash Patel echoed the Justice Department's concerns, emphasising the bureau’s ongoing efforts to disrupt foreign intelligence threats targeting the United States.
“We will continue to vigilantly defend the homeland from China’s pervasive attempts to infiltrate our borders,” Patel said.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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