Charges Filed Against Two Chinese Nationals for Espionage Efforts

The Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed on Tuesday that two individuals from China are facing charges related to efforts to collect information about a U.S. naval base and recruit military personnel for espionage purposes.

The individuals are identified as Yuance Chen, 38, and Liren “Ryan” Lai, 39. They are both citizens of the People’s Republic of China, currently residing in Oregon and Texas, respectively.

According to a DOJ press release, Chen is described as a “legal permanent resident” of Happy Valley, Oregon, while Lai has been in Houston, Texas, on a tourist visa since April 2025.

Chen was arrested on June 27 and is accused of taking part in various secretive intelligence tasks in the U.S. for the Ministry of State Security (MSS), which is the main foreign intelligence agency of the Chinese government.

The DOJ noted that the MSS is responsible for collecting private intelligence and managing political security along with foreign intelligence operations.

The charges allege that Lai recruited Chen to work with the MSS in 2021. They were together in Guangzhou, China, in January 2022, and reportedly coordinated “dead-drop” payments of at least $10,000 on behalf of the MSS. They also collaborated with others in the U.S. to leave cash in hidden locations.

A “dead drop” is a method where a sender and receiver do not meet directly. Reports indicate that Chen’s wife, who was not named in the charges, was also involved in setting up cash deliveries.

Reports also mention that Chen provided photographs of the U.S. Navy base and even filmed a video discussing Navy recruitment at a recruiting station, in both English and Chinese.

Additionally, it’s said that Chen gathered information about Navy personnel from a California recruiting station during 2022 and 2023, which he then forwarded to the MSS. He was also trained by the MSS on how to attract and recruit potential Navy recruits, partly by using social media platforms.

Attorney General Pam Bondi remarked that this situation highlights ongoing efforts by the Chinese government to undermine U.S. national security from within.

Bondi stated that the DOJ is committed to exposing foreign operatives and protecting Americans from covert threats to national security.

FBI Director Kash Patel commented that the Chinese Communist Party believed they could employ methods like dead drops to minimize detection while operating on U.S. soil.

National Security Advisor John A. Eisenberg warned that foreign intelligence agencies, including China’s, are intensively working to cultivate recruitment sources and intelligence assets within the United States.

In a press conference, a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the allegations during a Wednesday briefing, stating that she was not familiar with the particulars of the case but opposed what she referred to as “Chinese spy” narratives, reaffirming the need to support the rights of Chinese citizens.