Increasing Number of Chinese Spies Arrested and Charged in US

September 15, 2024 TruthUSA

For years, Beijing has tightened its grip on the United States, gathering intelligence from the U.S. government while suppressing dissenters through agents embedded in American society.

Experts have noted that in recent years, the United States has been pushing back against these activities.

In early September, Linda Sun, a former aide to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, was arrested by prosecutors, accused of acting on behalf of Beijing in exchange for gifts and payouts valued in the millions for her family. (source)

There has been a noticeable increase in convictions or guilty pleas in recent months. Over the past four years, the Justice Department has prosecuted numerous espionage and foreign agent cases directed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), resulting in at least 13 convictions or pleas, with more than half occurring this year, including three in the past month, as per court records reviewed by The Epoch Times.

On August 6, a Chinese American scholar posing as a pro-democracy activist was convicted by a jury for spying on dissidents for the CCP. (source)

On August 13, a U.S. army intelligence analyst from Texas pleaded guilty to selling military secrets to the CCP. (source)

On August 23, a software engineer who worked at Verizon for two decades pleaded guilty to gathering intelligence on numerous dissidents and organizations targeted by the CCP since 2012. (source)

Case documents reveal a wide range of criminal actions taken by agents, including industrial espionage and covert influence campaigns, as well as directing hacker groups, with one such group being charged and sanctioned this year for carrying out a 14-year campaign against the United States. (source)

“Our nation must seize every opportunity to counter these threats,” stated Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.), chair of the cybersecurity subcommittee for the House Armed Services Committee. Bacon underscored that the U.S. intelligence community has identified Beijing as the top threat to the United States.

Bacon himself has faced Chinese espionage attempts, having been hacked by CCP-linked hackers who also breached email systems of State and Commerce department officials and many other organizations.

“Can we ever truly say that our actions are sufficient? I don’t think so, given the increasing frequency, sophistication, and national security implications of these threats,” commented Bacon.

Who Are the Spies?

The CCP has historically targeted individuals of Chinese descent—more than 60 million outside China—as potential assets for their intelligence operations.

In the DOJ’s prosecutions of foreign agent cases, those charged include officials from the CCP’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), Chinese citizens entering the U.S. under false pretenses, hackers residing in Asian countries, as well as Chinese descent individuals who are asylees, permanent residents, and U.S. citizens.

Some operate within the U.S. while others reside in China, facing arrest if they ever step foot on American soil.

U.S. citizens not of Chinese descent are also involved, including active military members, former law enforcement officers, and professionals in competitive fields.

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