Patel’s FBI arrests alleged Chinese spies targeting US Navy

President Donald Trump’s administration arrested two more Chinese nationals on Friday as part of its efforts to crack down on the espionage activities of the Chinese Communist Party.

The FBI arrested Yuance Chen, an Oregon resident, and Liren Lai, who traveled to Texas on a tourist visa in April, the Department of Justice announced.

‘The individuals charged were acting on behalf of a hostile foreign intelligence service — part of the Chinese Communist Party’s broader effort to infiltrate and undermine our institutions.’

According to the DOJ, the two allegedly acted as agents for the CCP’s Ministry of State Security by collecting intelligence about U.S. Navy military members and bases.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, “This case underscores the Chinese government’s sustained and aggressive effort to infiltrate our military and undermine our national security from within.”

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“The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country — we will expose foreign operatives, hold their agents to account, and protect the American people from covert threats to our national security,” she added.

The two men are also accused of attempting to recruit service members to carry out similar covert tasks for the MSS, having allegedly visited naval installations in Washington and California in 2022 and 2023. The DOJ claimed that during those visits, Chen took photographs of a bulletin board that contained the names and programs of recruits, most of whom identified their hometown as China. That photo was allegedly sent to an MSS intelligence officer.

Chen and Lai allegedly facilitated a $10,000 “dead drop” payment on behalf of the MSS. The men were accused of coordinating with others in the U.S. to leave a backpack with the cash at a locker in Livermore, California.

A criminal complaint stated that Lai recruited Chen to work for the Chinese intelligence organization in 2021.

The Naval Criminal Investigative Service assisted with the FBI’s Friday arrest of Chen and Lai.

The men face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

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FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital, “Today’s arrests reflect the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting our national security and safeguarding the integrity of our military.”

“The individuals charged were acting on behalf of a hostile foreign intelligence service — part of the Chinese Communist Party’s broader effort to infiltrate and undermine our institutions,” Patel continued. “Thanks to outstanding coordination with our partners, including NCIS, we disrupted those efforts and sent a clear message: The United States will not tolerate espionage on American soil. Our counterintelligence operations remain focused, vigilant, and relentless.”

In May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Trump administration would begin aggressively revoking student visas for Chinese nationals with connections to the CCP or those “studying in critical fields” to clamp down on unchecked espionage.

Since Rubio’s announcement, several Chinese nationals have been arrested for allegedly attempting to smuggle biomaterial into the U.S.

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