US to join Russia, China in war on crime, Kash Patel says, as former FBI director warns of risks

FBI Director Kash Patel announced new law enforcement partnerships with China and Russia to combat transnational crime, including fentanyl, cyber fraud, and child exploitation. The cooperation involves personnel exchanges, joint raids, and intelligence sharing. Critics warn of risks from sharing sensitive information with adversaries. Patel claims risks can be managed and that Five Eyes remains the top intelligence relationship.

FBI Director Kash Patel has established new law enforcement partnerships with China and Russia, longtime US rivals, to combat transnational crime, including fentanyl trafficking, cyber fraud, and child sexual exploitation. The cooperation involves personnel exchanges, joint raids, and intelligence sharing. Patel returned from a trip to Beijing in late July, and a similar trip to Russia is tentatively planned for October. The partnerships, known as "working groups," represent a major break from the past and have raised concerns within the counterintelligence community about sharing sensitive information with authoritarian regimes. In May, the FBI, China's Ministry of Public Security, and Dubai police conducted "Operation Sand Dollar," a raid on a cyber scam center in Dubai that led to 300 arrests and $300 million seized. Patel said risks can be managed, emphasizing that Five Eyes remains the most important intelligence relationship. Critics, including former FBI supervisory agent Jeff Crocker, warn of espionage risks. The cooperation has expanded across four working groups: cyber fraud, violent crimes against children, counternarcotics, and a fugitive task force. An internal memo credited cooperation with China in operations against pharmaceutical companies, leading to nine arrests and seizure of fentanyl precursor chemicals.