China and Russia are reportedly deploying "sex spies" to the United States in a bid to steal secrets and gain a strategic edge, according to a former CIA operative. Sharing his personal experience with Fox News Digital, J. Michael Waller said he encountered such tactics firsthand while working in Poland, describing how a young Chinese woman—who appeared unusually well informed about his background—approached him under false pretenses. After realizing she was a spy, Waller alerted authorities, and the woman was expelled from the country "within days."
Waller argues that these so-called "honeypot" operations, in which operatives use romance or sex to manipulate targets, amount to psychological warfare. "They take advantage of the fact that people are lonely or just want to have a good time or, you know, need company," he said. "They do what's been done since biblical times. They use sex as a weapon."
The targets aren't just diplomats or military personnel, but also engineers, local politicians, and tech professionals. James Mulvenon, chief intelligence officer for Pamir Consulting, tells the Times of London that he's seen an uptick in such women reaching out to him, noting, "I'm getting an enormous number of very sophisticated LinkedIn requests from the same type of attractive young Chinese woman." The operatives often invest months or even years to build emotional relationships, sometimes even marrying targets and starting families, per Fox.
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The US government has responded by tightening rules for employees in China, banning romantic relationships with Chinese citizens—a policy enforced under former Ambassador Nicholas Burns. The Fox report also cites the account of Aliia Roza, a former Russian spy, who told the New York Post how agents target Silicon Valley and use flattery, emotional manipulation, and even sob stories to ensnare their marks. Waller's advice: If an attractive stranger from China seems inexplicably interested, it's wise to be suspicious.
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