Two Chinese nationals, Liren "Ryan" Lai and Yuance Chen, were each sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Both pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as agents of the Chinese government and to acting as agents of a foreign government without prior notification to the attorney general.
According to court documents, the pair began acting as agents in 2021 under a Chinese intelligence officer with the Ministry of State Security. Authorities said they photographed U.S. military personnel and facilities, Navy recruiting offices, and naval installations in Washington and California, and tried to recruit U.S. service members. A federal affidavit also cited surveillance of the Naval Special Warfare Command in San Diego.
Officials said the activities included cash "dead drop" payments, including $10,000 sent to Chen and a $20,000 payment Lai was directed to facilitate in Phoenix in 2025. Lai was arrested in Houston, and both defendants were arrested on June 27, 2025, in a coordinated FBI and law enforcement operation. FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky said the case shows the Chinese government's efforts to infiltrate the U.S. armed forces.