FBI Arrests Two Chinese Nationals Over Espionage Plot Targeting U.S. Navy Facilities


Federal authorities have apprehended two Chinese nationals accused of operating as covert agents for the People’s Republic of China, allegedly tasked with gathering intelligence on U.S. Navy personnel and infiltrating military installations.
Allegations of Clandestine Activity
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the arrests of Yuance Chen, a resident of Happy Valley, Oregon, and Liren Lai, who recently entered the U.S. via Houston on a tourist visa in April 2025. According to the criminal complaint, both men worked under the direction of China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), the nation’s primary foreign intelligence agency.
The duo is charged with conducting unauthorized intelligence operations on American soil, which included recruiting military members as assets and managing "dead-drop" cash payments to fund their activities.
Surveillance and Infiltration Tactics

The investigation, supported by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), revealed a series of sophisticated efforts to compromise U.S. naval security:
Financial Coordination: As early as 2022, the suspects reportedly coordinated a $10,000 "dead-drop" payment in Livermore, California, following meetings with MSS handlers in Guangzhou.
Targeting Navy Recruits: In 2022 and 2023, the pair visited a Navy recruitment center in San Gabriel, California. Chen allegedly photographed bulletin boards containing personal data of recruits—specifically noting those of Chinese descent—and transmitted this information to intelligence officers in China.
Asset Manipulation: The DOJ alleges that the MSS provided Chen with specific scripts to use when approaching potential recruits, offering guidance on payment discussions and how to avoid detection.
Unauthorized Access: Using social media to build a rapport with a Navy service member, Chen successfully secured a tour of the USS Abraham Lincoln in San Diego, later reporting observations from the vessel back to the MSS.
Official Response
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that the arrests are a testament to the bureau’s "unwavering commitment" to national security.
"The individuals charged were acting on behalf of a hostile foreign intelligence service—part of a broader effort to infiltrate and undermine our institutions," Patel stated. "The United States will not tolerate espionage on American soil. Our counterintelligence operations remain focused, vigilant, and relentless."
Legal Consequences
The criminal complaint further details that Chen traveled to China as recently as March 2025 to discuss compensation for his assignments. Meanwhile, Lai claimed his travel to Houston was for an online retail business, a claim investigators believe was a cover for his intelligence work.
Both defendants have been charged with acting as agents of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General. If convicted, Chen and Lai face a maximum of 10 years in federal prison and fines of up to $250,000.
George Soros’ Network Bankrolling ‘No Kings’ Protests: Report

George Soros’ network of organizations is helping bankroll the “No Kings” protests that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and tens of thousands of demonstrators plan to join on Saturday, according to new disclosures and archived grant data.
Soros, a billionaire investor and one of the Democratic Party’s most prolific donors, is the founder of the Open Society Foundations, which oversees the Open Society Action Fund. In 2023, that fund issued a two-year grant of $3 million to the progressive group Indivisible, according to public filings. The stated purpose was to support the organization’s “social welfare activities,” Fox News reported.
Indivisible is currently serving as the group managing participant data and communications for the “No Kings” protests taking place in Washington, D.C., and in cities nationwide.
Soros’ foundations say they have distributed more than $32 billion globally to advance what they describe as “open and democratic societies.” His son, Alex Soros, serves as chairman of the board.
Indivisible’s website lists Ezra Levin as executive co-director, alongside his wife, Leah Greenberg. Greenberg previously served as policy director for former Virginia gubernatorial candidate Tom Perriello, who later became executive director of the Open Society Foundations from 2018 through 2023 — deepening organizational ties between the two entities.
In 2017, Indivisible also received a $350,000 grant from Tides Advocacy, an arm of the left-leaning Tides Network. The Tides Foundation, another affiliate, has previously faced criticism for funding groups accused of supporting anti-Israel demonstrations and campus unrest.
While the 2024 grant report has not yet been released by the IRS or Open Society Foundations, records show Soros’ network has provided Indivisible with more than $7.6 million since its formation in 2017.
A spokesperson for the Open Society Foundations told Fox News Digital that its grants are lawful and that the organization does not dictate or manage how recipients conduct their operations.
“We support a wide range of independent organizations that work to deepen civic engagement through peaceful democratic participation, a hallmark of any vibrant society and a right protected by the Constitution,” the spokesperson said. “Our grantees make their own decisions about their work, consistent with the law and the terms of their grant agreements.”
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, was the first to draw attention to the Soros ties in an interview Thursday with Fox News host Sean Hannity, warning that the “No Kings” rallies could become violent.
“There’s considerable evidence that George Soros and his network are behind funding these rallies, which may well be riots all across the country,” Cruz said.
Cruz cited his STOP FUNDERs Act — short for “Financial Underwriting of Nefarious Demonstrations and Extremist Riots” — which he introduced in July. The bill would authorize the Department of Justice to use RICO statutes to prosecute individuals or organizations that fund violent protests.
“This politicized march is being organized by Soros operatives and funded by Soros money. No one denies these basic facts,” Cruz told Fox News Digital. “The Trump administration and the Republican Congress are committed to countering this network of left-wing violence.”
The Open Society Foundations, in a statement on its website, emphasized that it does not pay or train protesters and “opposes all forms of violence, including violent protests.”
Indivisible’s own protest guide states, “Protests are most effective when we peacefully use our constitutionally protected rights of assembly and speech and properly prepare ahead of time.”
Republican lawmakers remain concerned about the network of funding that fuels mass demonstrations.
Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., sent a letter Thursday to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging an immediate investigation into the Open Society Foundations and other Soros-backed groups.
“The funding of organizations that engage in, support, or incite political violence must not be tolerated,” Carter wrote, citing a recent report that found Soros’ foundations distributed more than $80 million to groups accused of endorsing or participating in domestic extremism.
As protests prepare to fill streets nationwide this weekend, scrutiny over their funding — and Soros’ influence — continues to mount.
My Husband Left Me in Rags for His Mistress. He Didn't Know My Billionaire Father Owned the Gala.

He took his mistress to the most prestigious gala in the city and left me standing in an old evening dress, then looked me in the eye and said, ""You'll only embarrass me."" He thought humiliating me would be the end of the story. He had no idea that one phone call I'd kept hidden for three years was about to shake everything he had built.
""You really planned to wear that?""
My husband's voice drifted up from the front entrance, cold enough to make my hands tremble. I stood frozen in front of the bedroom mirror, staring at the navy dress I had treasured since before we got married. The fabric was still elegant, but time had begun to show along the sleeves. I smoothed them anyway, hoping they looked less obvious.
Outside, Spencer Reed stepped out of his black SUV looking like the perfect CEO, every inch polished and confident. From the hallway, I heard our housekeeper, Mrs. Evelyn, gently ask if she should tell me it was time to come downstairs.
""There isn't any reason,"" Spencer answered without hesitation. ""Paisley's coming with me.""
His words hit harder than a slap.
I walked to the window and watched him adjust his cuff links without even glancing toward the house. Three years of marriage... and somehow I still kept convincing myself that if I stayed humble enough, patient enough, invisible enough, he would eventually love me.
I was wrong.
The sound of high heels echoed through the marble foyer.
Paisley Dawson slipped beside him wearing a shimmering gold gown that looked like it belonged on a magazine cover. Around her neck sparkled a diamond necklace that cost more than I had probably spent on myself during our entire marriage.
She smiled sweetly before looking me up and down.
""So... you're the wife.""
Her eyes paused on my worn sleeves, and she laughed softly.
""Now I understand why Spencer never brings you anywhere.""
I waited.
Surely my husband would say something.
Anything.
Instead, he smiled at her.
""You look incredible.""
The room suddenly felt colder.
Paisley rested her hand possessively on his arm.
""The Apex Group charity gala isn't a place for someone dressed like... that,"" she said. ""Tonight will be filled with CEOs, senators, investors—people who actually matter. You'd only make Spencer look bad.""
Every word was carefully chosen to wound.
I turned to Spencer, refusing to let them see the anger building inside me.
He didn't defend me.
He didn't deny her words.
He simply offered Paisley his arm.
""We're late.""
That was all.
I stood silently as the front door closed behind them. A few seconds later, the SUV disappeared through the gates, its taillights fading into the evening.
Mrs. Evelyn quietly walked over and touched my arm.
""I'm so sorry, Mrs. Reed. Would you like me to make you some dinner?""
I forced a faint smile.
""No... thank you.""
I climbed the stairs alone and shut the bedroom door behind me. Through the window I could see the skyline where tonight's gala was already beginning, lights glowing above the city like another world I was never meant to enter.
Then my phone vibrated.
A message.
Unknown number.
When I opened it, my stomach dropped.
It was a selfie from the back seat of Spencer's SUV.
Paisley leaned against him with a smug grin, flashing a peace sign while Spencer's reflection appeared beside her in the window.
Below the photo she had written:
""By the time tonight is over, he'll belong to me completely. Have fun waiting at home.""
I didn't cry.
Instead, I walked to my vanity, opened the lowest drawer, and pulled out a small red velvet box I hadn't touched in three years.
Inside rested a SIM card.
The one I promised myself I'd never need again.
I slipped it into my phone.
Only one contact appeared.
Dad.
My thumb hovered over the screen before I finally pressed Call.
One ring.
Two.
Three.
Then I heard the voice I hadn't allowed myself to hear since I walked away from my family.
""Phoebe?""
His voice sounded older... but the concern was still there.
My throat tightened.
""Dad...""
For a moment I couldn't speak.
Then the words finally escaped.
""I want to come home.""
Silence.
Long enough to make my heart pound.
Finally, my father—Raymond Harrell, the billionaire whose name could open almost any door in the country—answered with a voice trembling from emotion.
""My little girl...""
Another pause.
""I'm coming to get you.""
In that instant, everything changed.
Spencer believed tonight would elevate his empire.
He had no idea the most powerful man he'd ever unknowingly offended was already on his way.