LOS ANGELES, CALIF. / MILWAUKEE, WIS. — Federal grand juries in Los Angeles and Milwaukee have indicted two foreign nationals on charges related to interstate stalking of a U.S. dissident and conspiracy to smuggle sensitive American military technology to the People’s Republic of China.
According to the Department of Justice, Cui Guanghai, 43, a Chinese national, and John Miller, 63, a U.K. citizen and U.S. lawful permanent resident, face charges including interstate stalking, conspiracy, smuggling, and violations of the Arms Export Control Act.
“These defendants targeted a U.S. resident for exercising his constitutional right to free speech and conspired to traffic sensitive American military technology to the Chinese regime,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This is a blatant assault on both our national security and our democratic values.”
Federal prosecutors allege that in the fall of 2023, Cui and Miller plotted to prevent a dissident from protesting Chinese President Xi Jinping’s appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. Their plan reportedly included surveillance, the installation of a GPS tracker, tire slashing, and the destruction of the victim’s artwork, which depicted President Xi and his wife.
Undercover FBI operation thwarts plot
Unbeknownst to the defendants, the individuals they recruited to carry out their harassment schemes were acting under the direction of the FBI. After the November 2023 summit, Cui and Miller allegedly paid $36,500 to two additional FBI-affiliated individuals in an effort to stop the victim from launching an online video exhibit of new statues critical of Xi.
In a separate case based in Wisconsin, federal authorities say the same individuals conspired to acquire and export restricted U.S. military hardware to China. Items targeted included missiles, air defense radar, drones, and cryptographic devices with ignition keys.
To evade detection, the suspects allegedly discussed concealing a cryptographic device in household appliances such as a blender and routing the shipment through Hong Kong. Payments for the scheme included a $10,000 deposit via courier and wire transfer.
Prosecutors say both operations represent coordinated foreign interference on U.S. soil and an effort to compromise American defense systems.
