LOS ANGELES, California ( MyCaliforniaNews ) — A Chino Hills man was arrested by FBI agents on federal charges for allegedly acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China. Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 64, is accused of serving as a campaign manager for a Southern California city council candidate elected in 2022.
Sun was taken into custody without incident and is expected to appear in United States District Court in Los Angeles, according to the FBI. The criminal complaint, filed Tuesday and unsealed this morning, charges Sun with acting as an illegal agent of a foreign power and conspiring with Chen Jun, who was sentenced to federal prison last month for similar offenses.
The complaint alleges that Sun, while managing the campaign of “Individual 1,” communicated with Chen about influencing local politicians in the U.S., particularly on Taiwan issues. After the election, Sun reportedly prepared a report for Chinese officials, who responded positively, the affidavit states.
United States Attorney Martin Estrada expressed concern over the allegations, stating, “We cannot permit hostile foreign powers to meddle in the governance of our country.” Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, emphasized the FBI’s commitment to countering PRC intelligence operations.