Authorities have arrested two overseas nationals accused of hiring folks to harass, intimidate and threaten a Los Angeles resident who had publicly criticized Chinese language President Xi Jinping, the U.S. Justice Division introduced Friday.
The 2 suspects — Cui Guanghai, 43, of China; and John Miller, 63, of the UK — have been arrested by Serbian legislation enforcement officers on the request of the US, in line with a DOJ assertion.
In a prison criticism, federal prosecutors say that the marketing campaign towards the L.A. resident started in October 2023 when Cui and Miller allegedly enlisted two folks within the U.S. to cease him from protesting Xi’s look on the Asia-Pacific Financial Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco that November.
Authorities didn’t determine the sufferer.
“The sufferer had beforehand made public statements in opposition to the insurance policies and actions of the PRC [People’s Republic of China] authorities and President Xi,” federal authorities mentioned.
Within the weeks main as much as the APEC summit, the suspects allegedly had the 2 folks surveil the sufferer, set up a monitoring machine on his automobile in addition to slash the automobile’s tires.
The suspects additionally directed the acquisition and destruction of two statues the sufferer had created depicting Xi and Xi’s spouse, in line with prosecutors.
The 2 suspects, nevertheless, have been unaware that the 2 folks they’d enlisted have been “affiliated with and performing on the path of the FBI,” in line with the Justice Division’s assertion.
“An analogous scheme occurred within the spring of 2025, after the sufferer introduced that he deliberate to make public an internet video feed depicting two new creative statutes of President Xi and his spouse,” the assertion learn.
Federal authorities allege Cui and Miller paid two different folks about $36,500 to persuade the sufferer to not show the statues. Federal officers mentioned these two folks have been additionally “affiliated with and performing on the path of the FBI.”
Cui and Miller every face a most penalty of 5 years for conspiracy and 5 years for interstate stalking if discovered responsible, authorities mentioned.
U.S. authorities additionally mentioned they may search extradition of Cui and Miller.
