The FBI accused the couple of working on behalf of the Chinese Ministry of State to collect maritime intelligence information.
The US Department of Justice has accused Chinese citizens of spying and trying to employ from the country’s military ranks.
According to Tuesday statementYyis Chen, 38, and Lerrien “Ryan”, 39, accused of working on behalf of the Chinese foreign intelligence arm, Ministry of State Security (MSS).
He claims that the husband carried out a group of “secret intelligence tasks”, including facilitating payments in exchange for national security information, collecting intelligence information on naval bases and trying to employ MSS assets.
Public Prosecutor Pamela Bondi said: “This issue emphasizes the efforts of the sustainable and aggressive Chinese government to infiltrate our army and undermine our national security from within,” said Public Prosecutor Pamela Bondi.
According to a written statement from the FBI, Lai was part of the MSS network “can travel more easily” between China and the United States “to facilitate secret operations.”
Starting in 2021, Chen’s development, a permanent legal resident, began with its origins.
After making sure that people know people in the US military, he urged him to travel abroad to discuss his prayers personally, and even offered to pay the tickets, according to the written statement.
According to the men met with MSS agents, and in 2022, they left a backpack at $ 10,000 in cash in the California wardrobe as paying other individuals to collect intelligence.
In the following years, the linear statement says that you can collect information about the navy and send it to Lay, while discussing employment efforts directly with MSS.
Some of this information included personal details of the naval staff. In one case, Chen traveled to San Diego, California, to meet a marine rental and a Usham Lincoln tour, a flying company.
The images included in the linear statement appear the visitor’s badge as well as the employee and their child on the surface of the aircraft carrier.
The FBI says that such interactions are part of China’s campaign to expand its army.
“The government of the Republic of China (the People’s Republic of China) requires blue marine capabilities as part of its effort to modernize the navy and establish dominance in the South China Sea.”
The “blue water potential” generally indicates marine efforts for long distances, rather than operations near local beaches.
“In this way, the PRC GORCONMENMT CASS and publishes MSS to target the US Navy in a hidden way and collect intelligence,” the kidnapping continues.
The two men were charged under the foreign agent registration law, or FARA, which requires those working on behalf of another country in the United States government.
In recent years, the United States government has increased its use of the law in its efforts to combat alleged Chinese espionage activity.
Beijing usually denies such claims and accused the United States of discriminatory tactics.
“These accusations reflect the breadth of the efforts made by our foreign opponents to target the United States,” American lawyer Craig H Misakian said in a statement.
“We will continue to conduct oppositions and counter -trials, regardless of their complexity and sensitive, to disrupt attempts to weaken our national security.”
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