2 Chinese nationals have been arrested in the US for allegedly spying and trying to recruit US Navy personnel to work for Chinese intelligence, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.
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Two Chinese nationals have been arrested in the United States for spying and trying to recruit US Navy members as intelligence agents, the Justice Department said on Tuesday.
Yuance Chen, 38, from Happy Valley, Oregon, and Liren Lai, 39, who arrived in Houston, Texas, in April on a tourist visa, were taken into custody by the FBI last Friday.
Both men have been charged with acting as agents for the Chinese government. If found guilty, they face up to 10 years in prison.
According to court documents, Chen and Lai carried out intelligence-gathering activities in the US on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security. These included offering money in exchange for sensitive national security information and trying to recruit US Navy personnel to spy for China.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the case shows China’s ongoing efforts to infiltrate the US military and harm national security.
Investigators say Lai recruited Chen, a US permanent resident, to work for Chinese intelligence back in 2021.
