The person at the center of this case
Yanqing Ye (accused)
Cold Case · Open - Fugitive
6 years waiting · since 2020
YANQING YE
Justice for Yanqing Ye (accused) — the trail went cold in 2020, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
🔍
evidence
Lead #1What specific U.S. military websites did Ye assess and what information was gathered from those assessments?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2What documents and information were transmitted to China, and through what channels?
🎯
suspect
Lead #3Who were the PLA officers who assigned tasks to Ye, and are they known to U.S. intelligence?
Yanqing Ye, a Lieutenant in China's People's Liberation Army, allegedly obtained a J-1 student visa to Boston University in 2017 by falsely claiming to be a student while concealing her active military service. While studying physics and biomedical engineering from October 2017 to April 2019, she is accused of conducting espionage activities including research assessments of U.S. military websites and transmitting American documents to China. A federal arrest warrant was issued on January 28, 2020, but Ye is believed to have fled to China, making her apprehension and prosecution uncertain.
Case
#808
United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts; Federal Bureau of Investigation
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
👁️
witness
Lead #4Did Boston University colleagues or faculty notice suspicious behavior or communications during her time there?
💡
clue
Lead #5How did Ye maintain secure communications with her PLA supervisors while in the United States?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
Acting as an Agent of a Foreign Government; Visa Fraud; Making False Statements; Conspiracy Caution: Yanqing Ye is a Lieutenant in the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the armed forces of the People’s Republic of China, and a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Ye studied at the National University of Defense Technology (NUDT), a top military academy directed by the CCP in China.
It is alleged that, on her J-1 visa application, Ye falsely identified herself as a “student” and lied about her ongoing military service at the NUDT. During Ye's time in the United States on her J-1 visa, she maintained close contact with her supervisor at the NUDT and other colleagues.
While studying at Boston University’s Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering from October of 2017 to April of 2019, Ye allegedly continued to work as a PLA Lieutenant completing numerous assignments from PLA officers such as conducting research, assessing United States military websites, and sending United States documents and information to China. On January 28, 2020, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Ye in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, after she was charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government, visa fraud, making false statements, and conspiracy.
Remarks: Ye is believed to be in China.
Timeline of Events
📞
2017-10-01
Ye Arrives at Boston University
Yanqing Ye begins studies at Boston University's Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering on J-1 visa
📞
2019-04-01
Ye Departs Boston University
Yanqing Ye completes her studies at Boston University in April 2019
🕵️
2020-01-28
Federal Arrest Warrant Issued
Federal arrest warrant issued in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts for acting as agent of foreign government, visa fraud, making false statements, and conspiracy
Key Locations
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Case Information
Incident:October 1, 2017
Last Updated:September 12, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:October 1, 2017
Last Updated:September 12, 2026