Across three cases, the United States Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of New York and the District of New Jersey charged 13 individuals with conspiracy, obstruction, and attempts to aid the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in exerting influence in-country.
According to unsealed indictments, seven Chinese nationals were alleged to have participated in the attempted, forced repatriation of another national residing in the United States, including using surveillance and conducting a harassment campaign to coerce that resident into returning to the PRC. Additionally, at least two PRC intelligence officers were charged with attempting to obstruct a criminal prosecution and evading arrest, while another four Chinese nationals were charged with a long-running intelligence campaign targeting U.S. residents to act as agents of the PRC.
“As these cases demonstrate, the government of China sought to interfere with the rights and freedoms of individuals in the United States and to undermine our judicial system that protects those rights. They did not succeed,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said. “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by any foreign power to undermine the Rule of Law upon which our democracy is based. We will continue to fiercely protect the rights guaranteed to everyone in our country. And we will defend the integrity of our institutions.”
The announcements follow growing domestic and international scrutiny of a PRC effort known as Operation Fox Hunt – an operation launched by CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping purportedly to track down and return corrupt Chinese nationals to China to face criminal charges. While dozens have been arrested through the program, other figures – including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray – have described the operation as meant to suppress dissent among the global Chinese community.
“These indictments of PRC intelligence officers and government officials – for trying to obstruct a U.S. trial of a Chinese company, masquerading as university professors to steal sensitive information, and trying to strong-arm a victim into returning to China – again expose the PRC’s outrageous behavior within our own borders,” Wray said. “The FBI, working with our partners and allies, will continue to throw the full weight of our counterintelligence and law enforcement authorities into stopping the Chinese government’s crimes against our businesses, universities, and Chinese-American communities.”
None of these defendants – fled or arrested – have been proven guilty of the charges for which they have been accused. The federal allegations will be addressed in court.