Two Chinese Nationals Sentenced to 30 Months for Spying on U.S. Military

Washington, October 31 (Daily Kiran) : Two Chinese nationals have been sentenced to 30 months in prison for conducting espionage activities aimed at U.S. military personnel. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the verdict on October 31, 2026.

The individuals, 40-year-old Liren “Ryan” Lai and 39-year-old Yuansheng Chen, conspired to act as agents for the Chinese government without notifying U.S. authorities. They were also given a three-year supervised release following their prison term.

According to the Justice Department, both men worked under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security. Their activities included covertly arranging cash payments, gathering information about military bases and personnel, and assisting in recruiting intelligence sources within the U.S. Army.

John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, stated, “Liren Lai and Yuansheng Chen operated under a long-term conspiracy. They attempted to undermine U.S. national security by supporting Chinese intelligence operations and recruiting individuals within the United States.”

The sentences were handed down after both defendants pleaded guilty to their charges. Lai admitted his guilt on December 12, 2025, while Chen followed suit on February 20.

Court documents revealed that both men had been acting as agents for the Chinese intelligence service since May 2021 or earlier. Lai recruited Chen, who initially served as an intermediary between Lai and Chinese intelligence officials. Eventually, Chen began receiving assignments directly from those officials.

The government’s sentencing memorandum detailed a covert payment of approximately $10,000 made in January 2022. While in China, the defendants coordinated with individuals in the U.S. to place a backpack filled with cash in a locker at a recreational center in Livermore, California. This method, referred to as a “dead drop,” allows for the exchange of money or information without direct contact between involved parties.

The Justice Department noted that starting in 2022, Chen began collecting information about U.S. military bases and personnel under the guidance of Lai and Chinese intelligence officers. His tasks included taking photographs of the Navy Base Kitsap in Bremerton, Washington, and capturing images and videos of new recruits and active sailors at a Navy recruitment center in Southern California.

Additionally, Chen gathered identifying information about a Navy employee and maintained detailed biographical data on military personnel considered potential intelligence targets.

In March 2023, Lai traveled to the U.S. and provided Chen with a mobile phone for secret communications with Chinese intelligence. Following this, Chen traveled to China in 2024 and 2025, where he met with intelligence officials and received further assignments related to American service members.