Two men accused of spying for China are facing federal charges, with one suspect having ties to Washington.
A multi-agency investigation disrupted a “clandestine People’s Republic of China (PRC) Ministry of State Security Intelligence network operating in the U.S.,” the Department of Justice said.
The Chinese spies allegedly tried to recruit U.S. Navy personnel at multiple naval stations, including at a base in Washington state. The U.S. Department of Justice release does not specify which base in Washington.
One suspect was arrested in Oregon, the other in Texas. Yuance Chen, 38, a PRC national and legal permanent resident in Happy Valley, Oregon, was arrested after trying to identify U.S. Navy personnel for potential recruitment by the Chinese Ministry of State Security (MSS), PRC’s foreign intelligence service. Liren Lai was arrested in Houston on the same day for similar charges.
Clandestine operations carried out by alleged Chinese spies
Investigators said they used spy craft, including cash drops and encrypted messages. The two spies were charged with carrying out clandestine intelligence operations in the U.S. on behalf of the MSS. According to Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg, PRC MSS operatives dedicate years to recruiting individuals and cultivating them as intelligence assets within the U.S.
Both men could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
“The Chinese Communist Party thought they were getting away with their scheme to operate on U.S. soil, utilizing spy craft, like dead drops, to pay their sources,” stated FBI Director Kash Patel in the release from the U.S. Department of Justice. “This case was a complex, coordinated effort and is an example of outstanding counterintelligence work done by FBI San Francisco, Portland, Houston, San Diego, and the [FBI’s] Counterintelligence Division.”
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