The person at the center of this case
Yanqing Ye
Cold Case · Open
6 years waiting · since 2020
YANQING YE
Justice for Yanqing Ye — 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 access and assess during her time at Boston University?
🔍
evidence
Lead #2What documents and information did Ye send to China, and through what communication channels?
🎯
suspect
Lead #3Who were the specific PLA officers who supervised Ye and assigned her tasks while she was in the United States?
Yanqing Ye, a Lieutenant in China's People's Liberation Army, obtained a J-1 student visa to study physics at Boston University from 2017 to 2019 by falsely claiming she was a student and concealing her military service. While in the United States, she allegedly conducted espionage activities including research on U.S. military websites and sent sensitive American documents to China while maintaining contact with PLA supervisors. A federal arrest warrant was issued on January 28, 2020, but Ye is believed to have fled to China, making her current whereabouts and activities unknown.
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.
⏰
timeline
Lead #4How long did Ye's espionage activities continue after leaving Boston University in April 2019 before the January 2020 warrant?
📞
contact
Lead #5What evidence exists of her ongoing communications with NUDT supervisors and PLA colleagues during her U.S. residence?
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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
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2017-10-01
Boston University Enrollment
Yanqing Ye enrolled at Boston University's Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering on a J-1 visa
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2019-04-01
Boston University Studies End
Ye's studies at Boston University concluded in April 2019
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2020-01-28
Federal Arrest Warrant Issued
A federal arrest warrant was issued in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts for acting as an agent of a foreign government, visa fraud, making false statements, and conspiracy
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Case Information
Incident:October 1, 2017
Last Updated:May 19, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:October 1, 2017
Last Updated:May 19, 2026