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A man from Florida has been sentenced to four years in prison and fined $250,000 for conspiring to act as a foreign agent for China’s Ministry of State Security.

Something you should know before you read: Roughly two years ago, US officials issued warnings about China’s intensifying efforts to target dissidents and critics of the Chinese government living in the United States and other countries as part of a broader campaign known as “Operation Fox Hunt.” This initiative, led by China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), seeks to locate, intimidate, and force individuals critical of the Chinese Communist Party into returning to China, often under threat of harm to their families or reputational damage. Dissidents, including pro-democracy advocates, members of banned religious groups, and ethnic minorities such as Uyghurs, are frequent targets of these operations.

What’s the deal: According to prosecutors, Ping Li, a 59-year-old Florida resident, worked for decades in the telecommunications and information technology industries, including roles at Verizon and InfoSys. During his employment, Li provided China’s Ministry of State Security with information about Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy advocates and sensitive details related to cybersecurity and his employers’ operations. Using anonymous email accounts and in-person meetings, Li supplied the Chinese government with materials on hacking incidents, cybersecurity training, and the activities of US-based organizations and individuals of interest to Beijing.

Digging deeper: In one incident, a Chinese intelligence officer from the Ministry of State Security (MSS) requested that Ping Li provide information about individuals affiliated with the Falun Gong religious movement, which is banned and deemed subversive by the Chinese government. Less than a week later, Li responded by supplying the officer with the name and biographical details of a Falun Gong practitioner living in St. Petersburg, Florida. Falun Gong followers, known for advocating ideas critical of the Chinese government, are a frequent target of Beijing’s surveillance and intimidation campaigns. The information Li provided would likely be used by the MSS to monitor, intimidate, or suppress individuals and groups critical of the Chinese government, even outside its borders.

Following his sentencing, Ping Li expressed remorse for his actions, stating, “I regret what I have done. I am deeply sorry to the country I love.” He added, “Looking back now, I realize how stupid and ignorant I was.”