Twelve Chinese nationals, including mercenaries, law enforcement officers and employees of a private hacking firm, have been charged in a broad global cybercrime operation, the U.S. Justice Department announced on March 7, 2025, for their roles in a wide-ranging global cybercrime operation. The operations targeted a wide range of victims, including dissidents, news organizations, U.S. government agencies and universities.

Specifically targeting Chinese dissidents and religious organizations in the United States, I-Soon even hacked into U.S. institutions such as the Defense Intelligence Agency.

In addition to I-Soon’s activities, two other hackers, Yin Kecheng and Zhou Shuai, were charged in a separate hacking campaign that compromised U.S. technology companies, think tanks and the Treasury Department. The attack led to sanctions against the hackers, and the US State Department offered rewards for information leading to their capture.

China has denied the allegations, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian calling the allegations “baseless” and accusing the US of hypocrisy by citing its own cyberattacks on China. The US government has vowed to continue to confront these cyber threats, which are linked to China’s growing demand for foreign intelligence.