FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced Thursday that federal agents had dismantled a Chinese espionage network operating on U.S. soil — including foreign operatives who were actively attempting to recruit American military personnel to betray their country.

In a statement released on X, Bongino said the FBI executed eight search warrants and made two arrests in coordinated operations spanning San Francisco, Houston, Portland, and San Diego. The network was described as a “sophisticated” spy ring directly tied to the Chinese Communist Party.

“This is your FBI, and you deserve to know about the work we’re doing every day to keep our country and citizens safe,” Bongino wrote.

The bust is the latest in a series of escalating counterintelligence operations under the Trump administration, which has re-prioritized national security and pledged to root out foreign infiltration across the United States.

According to the FBI, these Chinese agents were targeting U.S. defense secrets and advanced technologies — including missile systems and drone capabilities — while simultaneously engaging in surveillance and intimidation operations on American soil.

Since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in 2025, the FBI has arrested 51 foreign intelligence operatives from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Charges include economic espionage, sanctions evasion, and trafficking in classified or sensitive materials — including biological agents.

Bongino emphasized the scale of the threat: The bureau now has nearly 5,000 active counterintelligence cases, with over 800 new cases opened this year alone.

“We typically work behind the scenes in this space,” Bongino said. “But we understand we need to rebuild your trust in the FBI and learn from past mistakes.”

In a clear break from the FBI's historically secretive posture, Bongino revealed that thousands of pages of declassified counterintelligence material had been turned over to Congress to promote transparency.

“God bless America, and all those who defend Her,” he added.

The high-profile espionage bust comes amid lingering tensions within the Justice Department over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation — tensions that nearly led Bongino to resign.

Bongino returned to work Monday after what sources described as a “heated disagreement” with Attorney General Pam Bondi over how the Epstein files were handled. He reportedly took a personal day Friday, and though back on duty, speculation continues to swirl about his long-term future at the FBI.

The Trump administration recently released a DOJ summary memo on Epstein’s case, concluding there was no “client list” and no evidence of homicide — a finding that inflamed both critics and grassroots Trump supporters demanding full accountability.

Bongino, a former Secret Service agent and fierce anti-corruption advocate, had long expressed skepticism about the Epstein case and what may have been concealed. His apparent frustration with the Justice Department reflects broader MAGA Nation dissatisfaction with perceived stonewalling from inside the federal bureaucracy.

David Schoen, the high-profile criminal defense attorney who briefly represented Epstein before his 2019 death, confirmed again in June that President Donald Trump had no ties to Epstein’s criminal network — debunking left-wing conspiracy theories once and for all.

“I can say authoritatively, unequivocally, and definitively that [Epstein] had no information to hurt President Trump. I specifically asked him!” Schoen posted to X.

With the Epstein saga still unfolding and foreign adversaries emboldened, Bongino’s aggressive pursuit of national security threats may offer a roadmap for restoring public trust — both in the FBI and in American institutions more broadly.