Tricked and Extradited: Inside the First FBI Operation to Lure a Chinese Spy to the US

Xu Yanjun was the handler for a GE Aviation engineer in Ohio who specialized in composite fan-blade technology. That engineer, David Zheng, had been approached on LinkedIn by an official from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics with a request to give a presentation. So Zheng ended up traveling from his home in Ohio to China in the summer of 2017. Zheng delivered a talk on aviation technology and met officials from China’s Ministry of State Security. That meeting included Xu, who paid Zheng’s travel expenses and gave him a stipend. U.S. officials found Zheng carrying thousands in cash on his way back. Over the next year, Cincinnati-based FBI Special Agent Bradley Hull was part of a team that flipped Zheng to lure Xu out of China and, ultimately, into an American prison cell. Xu was the first Chinese spy to be extradited to the United States to stand trial. Follow us: Facebook:   / intlspymuseum   Twitter: https://www.x.com/intlspymuseum Instagram:   / spymuseum   The International Spy Museum® is an independent nonprofit organization. Generous support from viewers like you fuel our nonprofit mission and make our collection, exhibits, and educational programs like this possible. DONATE here: https://bit.ly/3NUqU9C This show is brought to you from Goat Rodeo, N2K Networks, and the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. This episode was produced by Flora Warshaw and the team at Goat Rodeo. At the International Spy Museum, Mike Mincey and Memphis Vaughan III are our video editors. Emily Rens is our graphic designer. Joshua Troemel runs our SPY social media. Amanda Ohlke is our Director of Adult Education and Mira Cohen is the Vice President of Programs. And if you have feedback or want to hear about a particular topic, you can reach us by email at [email protected]. The Spy Museum does not endorse, approve, or support the opinions stated by guest speakers. Statements made by speakers do not represent the position or opinion of the International Spy Museum.