Portland, Oregon and Houston, Texas — Two nationals from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) appeared in federal court yesterday. According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), the individuals were charged with acting as PRC government agents without informing the Attorney General.
Yuance Chen, 38, who resided in Happy Valley, Oregon as a national and legal permanent resident appeared in court in Portland, Oregon. Liren “Ryan” Lai, 39, traveled to the U.S. on a tourist visa in April 2025 and appeared in Houston, Texas, where he resided.
Chen and Lai were arrested on June 27 for overseeing and carrying out clandestine intelligence tasks on behalf of the PRC’s foreign intelligence service, the Ministry of State Security (MSS). Chen and Lai facilitated a “dead drop” payment of cash for information relating to the national security of the United States previously provided to the MSS, gathered intelligence on U.S. Navy service members and bases and assisted with efforts to recruit other individuals from within the U.S. military as potential MSS assets, the DOJ reported.
“The Justice Department will not stand by while hostile nations embed spies in our country,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said. “We will expose foreign operatives, hold their agents to account, and protect the American people from covert threats to our national security.”
