The DOJ sentences two men accused of acting as agents of China's communist regime

Two Chinese citizens were sentenced to prison after being accused of acting as agents of China's communist regime and attacking U.S. military personnel.

In a statement, the Department of Justice reported that Liren Lai and Yuance Chen were sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of probation after admitting that they operated "under the direction and control of the Ministry of State Security (MSS) of the PRC (People's Republic of China)."

Among the "covert" intelligence activities they carried out for the Chinese Communist Party, Lai and Chen provided "information related to U.S. national security," in addition to "gathering information on U.S. military personnel and facilities and assisting in efforts to recruit potential intelligence informants within the U.S. military," in exchange for money.

"Liren Lai and Yuance Chen operated as part of a long-term scheme to undermine U.S. national security by supporting Chinese intelligence operations and recruitment within the country," said the Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg. "Lai and Chen's activities, carried out under the direction of the People's Republic of China, were extensive and brazen."

"Let this conviction serve as a warning: if you endanger the safety of our soldiers, our fellow citizens, or our nation, justice will find you," said Roman Rozhavsky, deputy director of the FBI's counterintelligence division.

After arriving in the United States on a tourist visa, Lai recruited and trained Chen, a permanent resident of the United States, in espionage, initially acting as an intermediary with Chinese intelligence services until Chen began receiving orders directly from his liaison officer.

This espionage mission began in May 2021, before being interrupted in June 2025 with the arrest of the two men, who were indicted in federal court.

Subsequently, they pleaded guilty of conspiracy and acting as agents of a foreign government without having reported this to U.S. authorities.