Two Chinese nationals have been arrested in the United States on suspicion of espionage and attempting to recruit members of the US Navy as intelligence assets, according to the US Department of Justice.
The suspects—38-year-old Yuance Chen from Happy Valley, Oregon, and 39-year-old Liren Lai, who entered the country on a tourist visa in April and was residing in Houston, Texas—were both taken into custody by the FBI last Friday.
Prosecutors allege that the pair acted on behalf of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), engaging in intelligence-gathering operations on American soil. Their alleged activities included offering cash payments for classified national security information and targeting naval personnel for potential recruitment by the MSS.
A criminal complaint reveals that Lai first recruited Chen, who is a lawful permanent US resident, to work for the Chinese intelligence service back in 2021.
“This case highlights the Chinese government’s persistent and aggressive attempts to penetrate our military and compromise national security from within,” said US Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
If convicted of acting as illegal agents of a foreign government, both men face a maximum prison sentence of ten years.