---
title: "FBI expands crime-fighting cooperation with China and Russia under Patel"
publication: "MediaBias News"
url: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/fbi-expands-crime-fighting-cooperation-with-china-and-russia-under-patel"
api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/fbi-expands-crime-fighting-cooperation-with-china-and-russia-under-patel"
markdown: "https://mediabias.news/conflict/fbi-expands-crime-fighting-cooperation-with-china-and-russia-under-patel.md"
audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/fbi-expands-crime-fighting-cooperation-with-china-and-russia-under-patel"
category: "Conflict & Security"
area: "United States"
published: "2026-08-05T16:06:42.232Z"
source_reported: "2026-08-05T14:59:00.000Z"
updated: "2026-08-05T16:06:42.232Z"
trust_score: 70
critic_score: 65
hype_score: 25
assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis"
fact_check_status: "not-performed"
coverage_measured: "2026-08-05T17:49:27.907Z"
---

# FBI expands crime-fighting cooperation with China and Russia under Patel

*Joint raids, personnel exchanges and working groups mark a shift in US law enforcement partnerships with two geopolitical rivals*

**Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): 

- Trust 70 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and eight digests corroborate the central claim.
- Craft 65 of 100, higher is better. Quotes and figures are present in full reports; digests lack depth.
- Hype 25 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are lively but not exaggerated beyond the body.

Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology.

**The short version**

- FBI Director Kash Patel has established working groups with China and Russia focused on fentanyl, cyber fraud, child exploitation and fugitive cases.
- The partnerships involve monthly personnel exchanges, joint raids and intelligence sharing, including a Dubai operation that led to 300 arrests.
- The initiatives began after President Donald Trump’s 2025 visit to China and have raised concerns within the US counterintelligence community.
- Patel described the cooperation as limited and selective, while critics warn of espionage risks from sharing sensitive information with authoritarian regimes.

FBI Director Kash Patel has established law enforcement partnerships with China and Russia over the past year to combat transnational crimes. The cooperation, which Patel described as selective and limited, focuses on fentanyl trafficking, cyber fraud, child sexual exploitation and fugitive cases. The partnerships involve monthly personnel exchanges, joint raids and intelligence sharing between US and Chinese officials.

The initiatives began after President Donald Trump’s visit to China in May 2025. Patel has since made two trips to China and met with Chinese Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong and Vice Minister Xu Datong. A trip to Russia is tentatively planned for October 2026. The FBI and Chinese authorities conducted a joint raid in Dubai in May 2026, dubbed "Operation Sand Dollar", which resulted in 300 arrests, the seizure of $300 million and the rescue of thousands of trafficked workers.

Patel told Reuters the partnerships are narrow in scope and do not replace longstanding alliances such as the "Five Eyes" intelligence network. He said counterintelligence measures are in place for foreign visitors to FBI facilities. Former FBI supervisory agent Jeff Crocker, who retired in 2024, warned that China and Russia would use access to US facilities for espionage, calling the cooperation "great cover" for infiltration.

## What the coverage left out

None of the right-rated digests mentioned the repatriation of a suspect from China to the US, a detail included in the full reports from The Express Tribune and HuffPost. The left-rated reports did not include the Chinese Embassy’s statement that "dialogue and negotiation are the right way forward", which appeared in the centre-rated full report from The Express Tribune.

## Who covered it

Shares of the 19 covering outlets with a published leaning rating:

- Left: 16% (3)
- Centre: 21% (4)
- Right: 63% (12)

8 of 27 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-05T17:49:27.907Z.

**Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 10 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-05T19:00:13.219Z.

## How the sides framed it

### Left

- The two left-rated reports, from HuffPost and Raw Story, led on the counterintelligence risks of the partnerships. HuffPost’s full report quoted former FBI supervisory agent Jeff Crocker, who called China and Russia "our enemies, period" and warned that their agents would exploit access to US facilities. Raw Story’s digest highlighted the "significant alarm" the initiatives have triggered within the US counterintelligence community.
- Both reports included Patel’s description of the partnerships as "selective and limited" and noted the concerns raised by former FBI officials. HuffPost quoted Patel’s assurance that counterintelligence measures are deployed for foreign visitors, while Raw Story’s digest focused on the broader unease among US security officials.

### Centre

- The two centre-rated reports, from The Express Tribune and Reuters, provided detailed accounts of the partnerships’ structure and scope. The Express Tribune’s full report described the four working groups, cyber fraud, violent crimes against children, counternarcotics and a fugitive task force, and quoted Patel’s statement that the cooperation is "an apolitical mission". Reuters’ digest summarised the partnerships’ focus on transnational crimes and the personnel exchanges involved.
- Both reports included the "Operation Sand Dollar" raid in Dubai and Patel’s assertion that the partnerships do not replace the "Five Eyes" alliance. The Express Tribune quoted Patel’s remark that the relationships are "new and dynamic" and his insistence that they are managed with awareness of China and Russia’s adversarial stance.

### Right

- The six right-rated digests led on the partnerships’ departure from past US policy and the security risks involved. India Today, De Telegraaf, Pakistan Today, Times of India and The Straits Times all noted the shift in approach and the focus on crimes such as fentanyl trafficking and cyber fraud. De Telegraaf’s digest explicitly called the sharing of sensitive information "dangerous".
- Korrespondent.net’s digest described the partnerships as a "new era" of cooperation, while India Today and Pakistan Today emphasised their limited scope. None of the right-rated digests mentioned the "Operation Sand Dollar" raid or the specific counterintelligence measures Patel described. The focus was on the broader implications of the partnerships and the potential risks to US security.

**Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding.

## Factuality profile of the covering outlets

These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true.

- veryLow: 1
- low: 1
- mixed: 5
- high: 10
- unknown: 8
- veryHigh: 2

## Verification scope

This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true.

## Original reporting this was written from

- [Правда.Ру](https://english.pravda.ru/world/167646-fbi-russia-kash-patel) — Russia and the FBI Revive Quiet Cooperation Against Transnational Crime
- [Digi 24](https://digi24.ro/stiri/externe/sua/sub-conducerea-lui-kash-patel-fbi-ul-stabileste-legaturi-fara-precedent-cu-china-si-rusia-3894611) — Under the Leadership of Kash Patel, the FBI Establishes Unprecedented Ties with China and Russia
- [Adevarul](https://adevarul.ro/stiri-externe/sua/sua-isi-schimba-strategia-nucleara-accentul-se-2547958.html) — The US Changes Its Nuclear Strategy. The Focus Moves on Tactical Weapons to Discourage China and Russia
- [Kristeligt Dagblad](https://kristeligt-dagblad.dk/debat/kan-atomvaaben-forhindre-krig) — China Flexed Its Nuclear Muscles and Created Political Havoc. An Old Question Is Once Again Relevant: Can Nuclear Weapons Prevent War?
- [Tuko.co.ke - Kenya news.](https://tuko.co.ke/world/us/635315-us-russia-china-agree-confiscate-passports-crime-suspects-list-offences) — US, Russia and China agree to confiscate passports of crime suspects, list offences
- [Korrespondent.net](https://korrespondent.net/world/4900310-patel-zaiavyl-o-novoi-ere-sotrudnychestva-fbr-s-kytaem-y-rossyei) — Patel Declared a New Era of FBI Cooperation with China and Russia
- [liga.net](https://news.liga.net/ua/world/news/fbr-nalahodzhuie-bezpretsedentnu-spivpratsiu-z-pravookhorontsiamy-kytaiu-ta-rosii) — The FBI Establishes Cooperation with Law Enforcement Officers of China and Russia
- [Do Rzeczy](https://dorzeczy.pl/swiat/925078/pentagon-szykuje-sie-na-najgorszy-scenariusz-chodzi-o-rosje-i-chiny.html) — The Pentagon Is Preparing for the Worst-Case Scenario. It Involves Russia and China.
- [India Today](https://indiatoday.in/world/us-news/story/kash-patel-fbi-china-russia-partnership-fentanyl-cyber-fraud-child-abuse-2964450-2026-08-05) — FBI teams up with China, Russia to tackle cybercrime, fentanyl: Kash Patel
- [Європейська правда](https://eurointegration.com.ua/news/2026/08/5/7243004) — Media: The United States Wants to Renew Its Nuclear Strategy, Which Would Allow the Use of Tactical Weapons
- [ussanews.com](https://ussanews.com/2026/08/05/the-prophecy-news-podcast-trump-administration-orders-new-tactical-nuclear-war-strategy-against-russia-and-china-as-the-department-of-war-makes-an-unthinkable-global-catastrophe-thinkable-again) — THE PROPHECY NEWS PODCAST: Trump Administration Orders New Tactical Nuclear War Strategy Against Russia And China As The Department Of War Makes An Unthinkable Global Catastrophe Thinkable Again
- [Hudson Institute](https://hudson.org/arms-control-nonproliferation/chinas-nuclear-coming-age-richard-weitz) — China’s Nuclear Coming of Age
- [rmf24.pl](https://rmf24.pl/fakty/swiat/news-na-wypadek-wojny-z-rosja-lub-chinami-usa-przygotowuja-nowa-s,nIdn,1012606) — "In the Event of a War with Russia or China," the US Is Preparing a New Nuclear Strategy.
- [Korrespondent.net](https://korrespondent.net/world/4900252-pentahon-razrabotal-yadernuui-stratehyui-na-sluchai-voiny-s-rf) — The Pentagon Developed a Nuclear Strategy in Case of War with the Russian Federation
- [De Telegraaf](https://telegraaf.nl/buitenland/amerikaanse-fbi-werkt-sinds-vorig-jaar-nauw-samen-met-china-en-rusland-gevaarlijk-dat-de-vs-gevoelige-informatie-deelt/159636700.html) — The American FBI Has Been Working Closely with China and Russia Since Last Year; 'It Is Dangerous that the US Shares Sensitive Information'
- [ZN.UA Зеркало недели](https://zn.ua/WORLD/sovmestnye-rejdy-i-obmen-ahentami-fbr-sozdalo-aljans-s-pekinom-i-moskvoj.html) — Joint Raids and Exchange of Agents: FBI Established an Alliance with Beijing and Moscow
- [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/kash-patel-russia-china) — Kash Patel shrugs off spy risk after forging FBI partnerships with 'enemies'
- [Reformatorisch Dagblad](https://rd.nl/a/1158554-fbi-werkt-samen-met-oude-rivalen-china-en-rusland) — FBI Collaborates with Old Rivals China and Russia
- [Pakistan Today](https://pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/08/05/fbi-expands-limited-crime-cooperation-with-china-and-russia) — FBI expands cooperation with China and Russia
- [The News](https://thenews.com.pk/latest/1411316-us-drafts-new-nuclear-strategy-in-case-of-regional-conflict-with-china-or-russia) — US drafts new nuclear strategy in case of regional conflict with China or Russia
- [Times of India](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/under-kash-patel-fbi-forges-unprecedented-law-enforcement-ties-with-china-russia/articleshow/132916355.cms) — Under Kash Patel, FBI forges unprecedented law enforcement ties with China, Russia
- [The Express Tribune](https://tribune.com.pk/story/2622207/under-patel-fbi-forges-unprecedented-law-enforcement-ties-with-china-russia) — Under Patel, FBI forges unprecedented law enforcement ties with China, Russia
- [HuffPost](https://huffpost.com/entry/patel-fbi-forges-ties-china-russia_n_6a730d69e4b095f52300fc55) — Under Patel, FBI Forges Unprecedented Law Enforcement Ties With China, Russia
- [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/asia/under-patel-fbi-forges-unprecedented-law-enforcement-ties-with-china-russia) — Under Patel, FBI forges unprecedented law enforcement ties with China, Russia
- [Reuters](https://reuters.com/world/china/under-patel-fbi-forges-unprecedented-law-enforcement-ties-with-china-russia-2026-08-05) — EXCLUSIVE: Under Patel, FBI forges unprecedented law enforcement ties with China, Russia
- [Daily Express](https://express.co.uk/news/world/2236190/america-preparing-nuclear-war-russia) — US 'preparing for nuclear war with Russia and China' as bombshell plans leaked
- [NBC News](https://nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-drafting-new-us-nuclear-strategy-case-regional-war-china-russ-rcna587370) — Pentagon drafting a new U.S. nuclear strategy in case of regional war with China or Russia, sources say
- [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/05/pentagon-drafting-a-new-u-s-nuclear-strategy) — Pentagon Drafting a New U.S. Nuclear Strategy

## Questions

**What crimes are the FBI’s partnerships with China and Russia focused on?**

The partnerships target fentanyl trafficking, cyber fraud, child sexual exploitation and fugitive cases. FBI Director Kash Patel described the cooperation as selective and limited to these areas, with working groups established for each type of crime. The initiatives began after President Donald Trump’s 2025 visit to China.

**What was 'Operation Sand Dollar'?**

Operation Sand Dollar was a joint raid conducted in Dubai in May 2026 by the FBI, China’s Ministry of Public Security and Dubai police. The operation led to 300 arrests, the seizure of $300 million and the rescue of thousands of trafficked workers. It is cited as a key example of the new law enforcement cooperation.

**Why are US counterintelligence officials concerned about the partnerships?**

Critics, including former FBI supervisory agent Jeff Crocker, warn that China and Russia could exploit access to US facilities for espionage. The partnerships involve sharing sensitive information with authoritarian regimes, which US officials have historically viewed as adversaries. Patel has acknowledged the risks but insists they are managed.

**How do the partnerships differ from past US policy?**

The partnerships mark a shift from viewing China and Russia solely as exporters of crime and sources of espionage. They involve monthly personnel exchanges, joint raids and intelligence sharing, which were previously rare or nonexistent. Patel described the cooperation as a break from past practice but not a replacement for alliances like "Five Eyes".

---

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