The United States has established new law enforcement partnerships with China and Russia to combat transnational crimes such as fentanyl trafficking, cyber fraud and child sexual exploitation, FBI Director Kash Patel said, quoted by “Reuters“, reports News.bg.
The cooperation includes staff exchanges, intelligence, joint investigations and operations. Representatives of Chinese law enforcement agencies have visited FBI sites in the United States, and American agents have traveled to China to work on specific cases.
According to Patel, the relations are limited to specific areas of transnational crime and do not represent a change in Washington's strategic alliances. He stressed that partnerships with countries like China and Russia would not replace the traditional "Five Eyes" format with allies Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
However, the initiative has drawn criticism from members of the counterintelligence community, who warn of the risks of sharing sensitive information with countries viewed by the United States as strategic adversaries.
As an example of the new approach, Patel cited the joint operation "Sand Dollar", conducted in May by the FBI, the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and the Dubai police against a cyber fraud network. The operation resulted in hundreds of arrests and the seizure of hundreds of millions of dollars.
The FBI director said that Washington is aware of the risks, but believes that they can be controlled through counterintelligence measures and strict control over access to information. According to him, the goal is to achieve concrete results in protecting American citizens.