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Arrests for foreign espionage are up 50%, according to FBI Director Kash Patel, as the Bureau looks to crack down on spying by America’s adversaries.
“We have gone after espionage activities against our main counterparts in China, Russia, and Iran,” Patel said at a press conference.
“In China alone, we’ve had over a 50 percent increase in espionage arrests alone, and prosecutions. In Iran, we have had a 50 percent increase, again, in espionage cases. And in Russia, we had a 33 percent increase in espionage cases alone.”
Just a week ago, a former State Department employee, Ashley Tellis, was arrested for attempting to give classified information to Chinese officials.
Another former State Department employee, Michael Schena, was arrested in September for attempting to do the same thing.
In June and August, a total of four Chinese nationals were arrested for attempting to smuggle AI chips that are currently subject to export controls and for spying for Beijing.
Patel added there have been 125 counterterrorism cases this year, compared to 100 last year.
“This year, you already have 52 arrests. Fifty-two arrests of violent cyber criminals who are stealing from senior citizens, who are violating our children’s rights and freedoms, and who are violating everyday Americans,” Patel said.
On Tuesday, US and UK law enforcement announced the seizure of $15 billion in Bitcoin from Cambodian scammers. The seizure is the largest ever seizure of digital currency by US law enforcement.
The scamming ring used 10 slave-labour compounds in Cambodia, and also had branches around the world, including in Brooklyn, where millions of dollars taken from over 250 victims was laundered.
