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Chinese Nationals Sentenced for Recruiting US Military to Spy — AI-generated representative image. A US federal courthouse, symbolizing the sentencing of two Chinese nationals for espionage recruitment.

Editorial Team

Liren Lai and Yuance Chen receive 30-month prison terms for acting as agents of China's Ministry of State Security.

Two Chinese nationals have been sentenced to prison in the United States after admitting they attempted to recruit US military service members to spy for Beijing. Liren "Ryan" Lai, 40, and Yuance Chen, 39, each received 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday.

The pair admitted to arranging "dead drop" cash payments in exchange for information related to US national security, according to the DOJ statement.

The case highlights the persistent efforts of foreign intelligence services to penetrate the US military and recruit personnel with access to sensitive information. Authorities described the scheme as a long-running operation aimed at undermining American national security and supporting Chinese intelligence recruitment inside the United States.

The sentencing marks a significant enforcement action against alleged agents of China's primary foreign intelligence agency operating on American soil.

Sentencing and Charges

Both men pleaded guilty to two charges: conspiracy to act as agents of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General, and acting as agents of a foreign government without prior notification. They were arrested and charged in June 2025.

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A Eisenberg characterized the operation as a "long-running", "extensive" and "brazen" scheme to undermine US national security and support Chinese intelligence operations and recruitment in the US.

How the Espionage Scheme Operated

According to court documents, Lai and Chen began acting as agents of China's Ministry of State Security no later than May 2021. Lai, who entered the US on a tourist visa, recruited Chen, a permanent resident, into the operation. Lai initially served as an intermediary between Chen and intelligence officers until Chen was able to receive orders directly from his handler.

In May 2022, the pair facilitated a secret cash payment of $10,000 from China, directing US-based individuals to drop the money at a specified location for collection by another person, a method known as a "dead drop." They later carried out a similar operation involving a payment of $20,000.

Scope of Intelligence Gathering

Beyond the cash payments, Chen and Lai engaged in additional espionage activities, including obtaining photographs of a naval facility, military recruits, and active-duty sailors. Chen collected personal information about a US Navy employee and maintained detailed biographical records on military personnel identified as potential intelligence targets.

The DOJ did not disclose how many times the pair facilitated payments or how many individuals they successfully recruited in the United States.

Broader Espionage Tensions

The sentencing comes amid heightened attention to espionage between Washington and Beijing. In late August, US President Donald Trump acknowledged that China spies on the United States, adding "we spy on them too." In June, China announced the arrest of a US citizen on espionage charges, a day after US media reported the detention of Min Zin, a scholar holding dual US and Myanmar citizenship, in early June.