LA local criticising Xi Jinping faced harassment and threats, federal authorities assert; two individuals taken into custody.
Breaking: Two Suspects Arrested for Harassment Campaign Against Critic of Chinese President
Sc suffers a setback as authorities nab two foreign nationals suspected of hiring hired guns to harass and intimidate a Los Angeles resident who voiced criticism against Chinese President Xi Jinping. The U.S. Justice Department spilled the beans on Friday.
The duo under the scanner, Cui Guanghai, 43, of China, and John Miller, 63, of the United Kingdom, were apprehended by Serbian law enforcers at the request of the US, as per a DOJ statement.
According to a criminal complaint, the campaign against the L.A. resident kicked off in October 2023, when Cui and Miller allegedly recruited two individuals in the U.S. with a mission to silence the critic during Xi's appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco that November.
The victim remains unidentified by authorities.
"The victim had previously voiced opposition to the policies and actions of the PRC government and President Xi," federal authorities stated.
Pre-APEC summit, the suspects reportedly orchestrated surveillance of the victim, installed a tracking device on their vehicle, and slashed the tires. They also masterminded the purchase and demolition of two statues the victim had created depicting Xi and his wife, as per prosecutors.
In a bizarre twist, the suspects were oblivious that the two individuals they had enlisted were "tied to the FBI," according to the Justice Department's statement.
"A similar scheme unraveled in the spring of 2025, following the victim's announcement that they planned to air an online video feed showcasing two new artistic statues of President Xi and his wife," the statement added.
Federal authorities allege Cui and Miller footed a bill of around $36,500 to deter the victim from displaying the statues, with the help of two more individuals "tied to the FBI."
If found guilty, Cui and Miller face a maximum penalty of five years for conspiracy and five years for interstate stalking. The U.S. authorities have also announced their intent to seek extradition of the duo.
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- The United States Justice Department publicly announced on Friday that two suspects, Cui Guanghai and John Miller, have been arrested for a harassment campaign against a Los Angeles resident critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
- The criminal complaint, filed in 2023, alleges that the campaign began prior to Xi's appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco, with the suspects orchestrating surveillance, installing a tracking device on the victim's vehicle, and slashing the tires.
- The suspects also reportedly masterminded the purchase and demolition of two statues the victim had created depicting Xi and his wife, according to prosecutors.
- The victim, who had previously voiced opposition to the policies and actions of the PRC government and President Xi, remains unidentified by authorities.
- In a bizarre twist, the suspects were allegedly unaware that the two individuals they had enlisted in the United States were "tied to the FBI."
- An additional scheme was reportedly uncovered in the spring of 2025, following the victim's announcement of an online video feed featuring two new statues of President Xi and his wife.
- Federal authorities allege that Cui and Miller, along with two other individuals tied to the FBI, spent around $36,500 to deter the victim from displaying the statues, with the potential for additional charges related to that incident. The U.S. authorities have also announced their intent to seek extradition of the duo.
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