• Lester V. Ledesma is a photographer and has been traveling across Southeast Asia for almost 30 years.
• He says places like Bali have struggled with overtourism, while Myanmar has faced political turmoil.
• But there are three cities — Siem Reap, Ipoh, and Hanoi — that he feels have improved over the years.

I've spent nearly 30 years traveling around Southeast Asia, long enough to witness just how much the region has transformed.

Over the years, I've watched destinations rise and fall. Some began as exotic tourism gems, but now struggle with overtourism — Bali is a good example of this.

Other cities, like Bangkok, remain perennial tourist magnets, managing to thrive thanks to careful resource management. Then there are the places that showed great promise when they opened to the world — I'm looking at you, Myanmar — only to become no-go zones due to political turmoil.

Nonetheless, there are a few special spots in Southeast Asia that I often revisit. Like well-made coconut wine, these three seem to get better as the years go by.

1. Siem Reap, Cambodia

When I first visited Siem Reap in 2003, it was something of a cowboy town, with more bicycles than cars. "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," starring Angelina Jolie, had been released a few years earlier, with scenes filmed at Angkor Wat, but the city still wasn't a common feature on the average bucket list.

Back then, its main landmark was Psar Chas — the old market — and the soon-to-be-renamed Pub Street was still just a jumble of guesthouses and restaurants that serviced mostly budget travelers.

Marijuana-laced "happy pizza" was a common item on menus, and there were even places that delivered straight to your room.

Two decades later, the hippie backpacker vibe has been greatly diminished, replaced by a more cosmopolitan collection of chic boutique hotels standing beside wine bars, hipster cafés, and restaurants boasting cuisine from all over the world.

These days, Siem Reap is basking in the glow of a post-COVID era facelift that widened the main roads and beautified the city's parks. To the east, the recently built Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport — which opened in October 2023 — has replaced the smaller landing strip that stood close to the city.

Despite more tourists, Angkor's UNESCO World Heritage sites are also managed better with an online booking app that lets you buy entrance passes without having to join the long lines. There's also more effective crowd control, especially in popular spots like Angkor Wat and the Bayon.

Clearly marked walkways and "no entry" signs help keep visitors from getting lost. Angkor may no longer offer the "lost jungle ruin" experience of decades past, but stricter regulations help ensure the preservation.

2. Ipoh, Malaysia

I remember when Lonely Planet's "Southeast Asia on a Shoestring" edition described Ipoh — a city in Malaysia about 120 miles north of Kuala Lumpur — as "so seedy you're unlikely to linger." Decades ago, I walked through the old quarter of this city and found little more than crumbling shophouses set alongside grand-but-aging colonial-era buildings.

Still reeling from the collapse of its industry in the '80s, this once-affluent tin mining community didn't seem to be doing too well. In fact, it had a hint of seediness that kept me from lingering too long.

Thankfully, much has improved since then. Renewed interest in local heritage sparked an urban revival that restored the city's venerable old structures. Colorful street murals added a quirky charm, making Ipoh an essential stopover for travelers in Malaysia on the Malacca-Kuala Lumpur-Penang route.

Nowadays, the city's rediscovered nostalgia is everywhere on display, from stylish B&Bs like the Sekeping Kong Heng — built on top of a still-operating vintage coffeeshop — to the ever-busy Concubine Lane where antique shophouses play host to numerous craft and souvenir stores.

And one of Malaysia's oldest bars — the 94-year-old Sinhalese Bar — still keeps its after-work crowd despite being surrounded by newfangled, IG-friendly espresso bars and watering holes. Ipoh's growing tourism industry has so far remained manageable, and I'm thankful that this picturesque heritage city has kept its soul.

3. Hanoi, Vietnam

When I first visited in 2007, I struggled to like Hanoi. At that point, it had not yet become a mainstream tourist destination.

Sure, it had interesting neighborhoods and a vibrant street scene, but I found locals in Vietnam's capital to be cold and indifferent toward outsiders. At times, it felt like everyone — taxi drivers, market vendors, even public toilet attendants — was just waiting to make a quick buck off me.

Maybe my not-so-great first impression had something to do with Vietnam's tough postwar years, when the country had to fend for itself.

But fast-forward 18 years, and the city feels completely different.

Hanoi has not lost any of its timeless character, and its ancient corner temples and ornate French colonial-era mansions still proudly display their patina.

Motorbikes continue to zoom recklessly, and conical hat-wearing vendors still roam the streets with their merchandise on their shoulders. But today's Hanoi seems to have put on a friendlier face.

Since my first visit, the city has upgraded its infrastructure and services to a more international standard. A new metro now provides a direct connection to the countryside, while price-regulated taxis and regular buses now transport travelers from the airport.

Young Hanoians come across to me as more welcoming, offering more smiles and fewer scowls. In fact, during recent trips, I've had random folks help me navigate fish-out-of-water situations. Like when a local customer scolded a noodle vendor who was trying to rip me off. There was also a friendly couple at a dessert stall who proudly taught me how to order ca phe in Vietnamese.

Friendly interactions like these — a quick translation, a helpful tip, or even a friendly chat — now color my view of the storied and beautiful city.

• Seventeen's new album has been fueling a K-pop photo card trading frenzy.
• The variety of photo cards has spawned a booming market for trading and collecting.
• The cards' popularity come as K-pop companies' stock soars.

"I have your man," I typed at 1 a.m., my hands trembling with excitement. "Do you have Joshua on hand to trade?"

Joshua Hong's K-pop band Seventeen released a new album on May 26. That album comes with serious math for trading card aficionados: There are seven versions of the record, each containing four photo cards — that's 336 unique cards, or "boy paper," to collect. I wanted him badly enough to wheel and deal my way through a maelstrom of trading card listings.

My late-night obsession is a small sliver of the sprawling business of K-pop photo card trading, a blood sport that's equal parts lottery and enterprise.

Supply and demand

The pieces of boy paper I'm attempting to secure are highly desirable collectibles in the fandom, said Kay Koo, an expert in marketing and K-pop from Korea University. Fans buy copies of the same album, hoping to find their favorite card.

"They serve as tangible indicators of fan loyalty," Koo told BI.

"Some fans even purchase over 100 copies of the same album to collect every photo card produced for that release, humorously calling this practice 'collecting Dragon Balls,' referencing the Japanese manga where collecting all seven Dragon Balls summons a dragon capable of granting any wish," Koo added.

Jackie Ko, a proud Carat — the name Seventeen fans go by, à la Swifties — has amassed 3,300 cards since she started collecting in 2021. She buys albums, keeps most of the cards she pulls, then tries to trade duplicates.

Ko, who's based in the US, also looks for fresh pieces from online sites like Mercari Japan, Neokyo, and PocaMarket — or from her local K-pop store's photo card trading nights.

"The chase and journey of finding certain photo cards is thrilling in itself as well, and there comes a sense of achievement when said card is found, or when a certain collection is finally complete," she said.

Ko estimates she's spent around $25,000 on photo cards and albums. Some of the more expensive cards she owns are rare cards of Seventeen's leader, S.Coups — she's seen them being resold for around $400 a piece.

Kia Pastoral, who became a Carat in October 2022, has a growing collection of 368 photo cards. She goes on X to look for new pieces and relies on her friends in the Philippines for more local trades. Pastoral estimates she's spent around $600 on cards.

"I buy the albums not just for the photo cards, but also for the album itself and other inclusions," Pastoral said. "I definitely love the feeling of unboxing new albums and getting excited to see which member I pull."

Ko described the adrenaline rush from buying albums as "addictive."

"I don't think I would be buying this many albums if not for the photo cards," she said.

The high

I can relate to Ko and Pastoral's descriptions of the unboxing high. I bought five albums from a local K-pop store in Singapore for around $25 Singapore dollars, or $19.50, a piece.

Staff at two K-pop album stores in Singapore said new shipments of the Seventeen album came in just this week, and fans have been snapping it up.

Much like Pokémon card collectors, Carats like Ko and Pastoral keep their photo cards neatly protected in decorative card holders and a variety of A4 and A5 binders.

Both fans have brought their photo cards on trips. Ko, for one, says she doesn't leave the house for an outing without a photo card on her.

Fans and local stores can make money in the photo card resale market.

Listings on an online Singaporean marketplace range from $5 to $25 per photo card. K-pop shops in Singapore also sell exclusive photo cards for $15 to $20 a piece.

Merchandising is king

The photo card feeding frenzy is just one branch of the sprawling landscape of K-pop, with its seemingly infinite supply of boy and girl groups debuting every year. Seventeen has been around for 10 years, and their peers at parent company Hybe, BTS, are set to return this month in full force for the group's 12th anniversary.

Though K-pop stocks dipped in 2024, Goldman Sachs analysts projected in a June 5 report that "Mega IPs" — bands like BTS, that perform in stadium-sized venues — would continue to buoy the companies this year.

Concerts, albums, and merchandising are all part of the monetization mechanism for bands under Hybe.

In 2023, Seventeen, per statistics compiled by Goldman, notched an all-time high of 4.5 million albums sold in week one of release that broke the Grammy-nominated BTS's record of 3.3 million copies.

Photo cards aren't the only factor driving physical album sales.

"In the early years, fans used to buy more albums to collect additional photo cards. Nowadays, they often trade or sell them among themselves," said Stephanie Choi, an assistant professor in ethnomusicology at the University of Colorado-Boulder.

"There are so many different reasons for album purchase, and photo cards are one of the many reasons," Choi added. Fans may want to mass-buy albums to clinch spots at exclusive events or just to help their idols chart better.

Still, it's fair to say that Seventeen's fame isn't built on a house of cards.

"While photo cards are crucial for immediate sales, digital strategies and continuous online engagement are indispensable for long-term fan base growth and sustainable commercial success," Koo, the marketing expert from Korea University, added.

Hybe's stock is up 43% in the last year.

While fighting the constant battle to keep my office desk clean, I tend to always leave a few favorite devices and accessories on my desk. These bits of tech never leave my direct sight, and have become irreplaceable in my day-to-day use. This is my top tech.

In more recent years, Apple has introduced a number of interesting and privacy-preserving features for iCloud subscribers. It even rebranded its subscription to iCloud+ around the launch of these new features, highlighting the fact that iCloud is more than just a storage subscription.

If you’re a more privacy-conscious person, you should definitely make sure you’re taking full advantage of the three features mentioned below.

Teen Mom star Mackenzie McKee joyously announced the birth of her and fiancé Khesanio Hall’s twin daughters.

“Welcome to the world Ja’Kharie Angie Hall and Ja’Meikah Angella Hall,” Mackenzie, 30, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, June 4. “Both named after our moms, the most beautiful ladies who mean everything to us. Born 31 1/2 weeks. 5,0, and 5,4. Both 17 inches long and O so beautiful.”

Mackenzie shared with social media followers that both she and Khesanio were “over the moon and so happy” about their daughters’ arrivals.

“The cries we cried when we heard those first cries. We are so in love,” she wrote.

Celebrity Babies of 2025: See Which Stars Gave Birth This Year

In his own Instagram post, Khesanio lovingly recalled how his “whole life changed” the moment his twins “came into this world.”

“The moment I heard their cries was the moment I realized I was not in a dream and this is reality. Baby girls, I promise to love and protect you until the very day I die,” he vowed.

The professional soccer player, 30, paid tribute to Mackenzie for the strength she’d shown throughout her pregnancy.

“@mackenziemckee you have done so well through this pregnancy and I am super proud of you momma,” Khesanio added. “I know how much you will love and care for our babies and I can’t wait to see them in 10 years then 20 then 30 and more and more! ”

The couple received many well-wishes, including a congratulatory message from the official Teen Mom Instagram account.

“LOOK AT THESE ANGELS Congratulations to you both,” the Teen Mom account posted in response to Mackenzie’s post.

Mackenzie announced that she was expecting twins with Khesanio during a March appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.

“No one knows I’m pregnant but I am,” Mackenzie confirmed. “There’s two in there.”

'Teen Mom OG' Stars: Where Are They Now?

Teen Mom: The Next Chapter viewers subsequently saw a powerful scene in April where Mackenzie visited her late mother Angie Douthit’s grave to share her pregnancy news. (Douthit died at age 50 in December 2019 after battling cancer.)

“Pulling up to the grave, I thought, ‘I’m going to be fine. I’m going to be strong. I’m going to tell her that I’m pregnant,’” Mackenzie explained in a confessional interview. “Then I just lost it. My mother was there every step of the way with all three pregnancies and it has been extremely, mentally tough to not even get to call her and tell her it’s twins.”

Mackenzie admitted that she didn’t “really enjoy” visiting her mom’s graveside because it made her death feel “more real,” but felt it was important to acknowledge her milestone.

In May, Mackenzie opened up about some of the complications she faced during her pregnancy, including gaining 20 pounds of water weight in a 48 hour period. She was diagnosed with preeclampsia, which the Mayo Clinic defines as a pregnancy complication that can contribute to high blood pressure and potential organ damage after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Mackenzie insisted at the time that she still felt “confident” about delivering healthy twins despite the painful preeclampsia symptoms she was enduring.

“I made it 31 weeks with twins. I was a Type 1 diabetic and the twins are measuring in the 97th percentile so they are big,” she explained via Snapchat. “I know 31 weeks is soon but I’m also proud that we made it this far and very confident that the babies will be fine.”

‘Teen Mom’ Sneak Peek: Mackenzie Discovers Her Son Knows About This Sex Act

Mackenzie and Khesanio’s daughters arrived just over one year after they announced their engagement in dual Instagram posts in May 2024.

“I can not believe I get to marry the most amazing human on earth! My best friend. I love you so much,” Mackenzie wrote, with Khesanio sweetly referring to her as his “shawty Fah EH Vah” in a matching message.

The Teen Mom star shares three older children – Gannon, 13, Jaxie, 10, and Broncs, 7 – with ex-husband Josh McKee. Mackenzie and Josh split in 2022.

Below Deck‘s Captain Kerry Titheradge didn’t realize the shade Ben Willoughby was throwing his way until he watched season 11 — and he was far from thrilled.

During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Kerry called Ben’s behavior “very disappointing,” saying, “I don’t quite get it because [his now-ex] Sunny [Marquis] worked for me. I had my own company in Florida and Sunny came to work for me after the season. And Ben was asking for work as well to come work for me.”

Kerry was initially hoping to put any season 11 issues behind them.

“With everything that happened on the show, I believe in second chances for everybody. He was trying to get work. I was encouraging him and trying to give him guidance. Then he didn’t like something I said in an interview, which was factual,” Kerry recalled. “I guess he thought he was the star and that he was trying to drag me down, so it had no weight. So it was very disappointing for him.”

Biggest 'Below Deck' Feuds — and Where the Relationships Stand Today

The captain pointed out that Ben didn’t return for season 12, adding, “It really affected his employment opportunities. He acted out against a captain and it was — regardless of a TV show or not — you act out against a captain. What do you think other captains are going to feel? They’re not going to trust you. So it’s very disappointing that he did that, because with his ego aside, he’s very good at his job, but his ego got in the way.”

Ben faced some big changes throughout season 11 after going from a lead deckhand to bosun when Jared Woodin was fired by Kerry. After the onscreen promotion, Ben teased to Us that his working relationship with Kerry is what changed the most throughout the season.

“Captain Kerry [has] very much of a military stance. [It is] more authority-based. So that was a bit of a learning curve for me,” he admitted in March 2024. “It doesn’t really work with the style that I like with my leadership. So we did have a little bit of friction there, and you might see a little bit of that coming up.”

As new episodes continued to air, Ben took to social media to hint at his dissatisfaction.

Below Deck's Biggest Drama Through the Years

“I once used to love Below Deck. There’s too much that isn’t seen. I’m at a crossroads as [to] whether the truth needs to be told or I don’t let this consume me anymore,” he wrote via Instagram during a fan Q&A in April 2024. “[I’m] not enjoying this season due to a number of factors. I never wanted to step foot on St. David again under those circumstances.”

Kerry called Ben’s comments a “real slap to the face” after he supported the bosun. “I would’ve fired him on ego [alone],” he revealed. “And he made the decision to act how he did after the fact, which is on him.”

According to Kerry, he has yet to receive an apology from Ben.

“I haven’t [heard an apology], and he kind of dragged Sunny into it as well. Airing your grievances doesn’t help — and I had numerous opportunities to fire him throughout the season. But I wanted to keep giving him an opportunity. So at the end of the season, I actually even spoke to him,” he explained. “I approached him and said, ‘Hey, mate, we’re going to do a cabin inspection. I want you to make sure all the cabins are done.’ So that’s what we didn’t see — I actually asked him to let the crew know how important it is and then I have to do it.”

A Guide to Every Captain in the 'Below Deck' Franchise: From Lee to Sandy

Kerry continued: “It’s part of my structure of the vessel. It’s a legal requirement of my job to do cabin inspections. So I had to do it — but I waited until later in the season to give everyone a chance to find their footing. So I asked him to inform the crew how important it is and then he was the only one who didn’t do it.”

Despite Ben not being onboard season 12, Kerry still had his hands full with plenty of drama, teasing, “There were a lot of bumps in the road. We had some very challenging guests. We had some challenging crew onboard the vessel that we had to make some changes with — and we’re in four different countries. We had a five-day charter, which has never been done before. That’s a lot for the crew to take on. But they come together, they pulled together and they did an amazing job in the end.”

Below Deck airs on Bravo Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Peacock.

The friendship lines are blurred — and lies are spreading like wildfire — in the official trailer for season 19 of The Real Housewives of Orange County, all thanks to Gretchen Rossi and her onscreen return.

“There’s a snake in this group,” Shannon Beador says in the trailer, which dropped on Thursday, June 5, as the group of ladies are each hooked up to a polygraph machine.

Tamra Judge teases, “No one likes a liar,” as glimpses of her castmates all in the hot seat flash across the screen.

Gretchen, meanwhile, makes her presence known this season after returning as a “friend” following a 12-year absence. “Make it make sense! Why?” Gretchen, 46, screams at Heather Dubrow during one scene.

“12 years you’ve been going after me!” Tamra, 57, yells at Gretchen, hinting that their friendship drama will be front and center when the show returns on Thursday, July 10. “It’s not the same thing,” Gretchen fires back.

Elsewhere in the trailer, Emily Simpson reveals that Gretchen is allegedly spreading a nasty rumor about Tamra, which only adds fuel to their feud.

“Gretchen said that you had an affair,” Emily, 49, tells Tamra in the video. Tamra later tries to defend herself, explaining that someone is “lying.”

Where Gretchen Rossi Stands With the ‘RHOC’ Cast Before Her Return

Gretchen, who starred on RHOC from seasons 4 to 8, isn’t the only one stirring the pot this season. Katie Ginella finds herself at odds with several cast members, including Tamra and Shannon, 61.

“Katie’s like a silent assassin,” Tamra claims, while Shannon alleges that Katie, 41, did something “illegal” during a restaurant blowout.

Gina Kirschenheiter, meanwhile, is facing relationship issues with Travis Mullen, while Emily is struggling with her son’s mental health ups and downs.

‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’ Season 19: Everything We Know So Far

“Travis’ son, we haven’t seen [him] in three weeks. He’s gotta go back to court,” Gina, 41, explains.  “Whenever Travis and I are happy, we pay for it.”

Emily, for her part, has a heart-to-heart with her husband, Shane Simpson, over their son Luke being “in crisis,” but she doesn’t feel like her spouse is hearing her. “We’re going to end up divorced,” Emily says through tears.

As friendships and relationships are falling apart, Jennifer Pedranti and her fiancé, Ryan Boyajian, are gearing up for their wedding — but it doesn’t look like it’ll be a smooth walk down the aisle.

“I don’t want Tamra at our wedding,” Jennifer, 47, yells, before she and Tamra get in a heated exchange.

Shannon Beador Reacts to Rumored ‘RHOC’ Filming Drama With Tamra Judge

Season 19 will also include the women traveling to New Orleans and Amsterdam. “Take it easy, grandma,” Shannon quips after seeing Tamra flash the crowd on Bourbon Street.

The Real Housewives of Orange County returns to Bravo Thursday, July 10, at 9 p.m. ET. Episodes will be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

House GOP lawmakers are accusing Elon Musk of going "too far" after he suggested President Donald Trump was "in the Epstein files."

"Hopefully we never have to answer questions about tweets like that from Elon again," said Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Texas, calling Musk's comments "not helpful."

"Elon crossed the line today," Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital,

Musk referenced late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein in relation to Trump Thursday as part of a larger tirade against the president and Republican leaders over their budget reconciliation bill.

HOUSE GOP TARGETS ANOTHER DEM OFFICIAL ACCUSED OF BLOCKING ICE AMID DELANEY HALL FALLOUT

The tech billionaire accused Republicans of adding to the national debt — currently nearing $37 trillion — with legislation they've called Trump's "big, beautiful bill."

"Time to drop the really big bomb. [Trump] is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!" Musk wrote on X. "Mark this post for the future. The truth will come out."

Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, said Musk had "gone too far."

NATIONAL DEBT TRACKER: AMERICAN TAXPAYERS (YOU) ARE NOW ON THE HOOK FOR $36,214,501,400,213.64 AS OF 6/5/25

"There's just no need for this," Nehls said. "Those conversations should be taking place behind closed doors."

Some Republicans argued that any damning information about Trump and Epstein would have already been revealed if it existed.

"What I would say is, if Joe Biden had Donald Trump in the Epstein logs, there's no question it would have come out during the campaign," Rep. Randy Fine, R-Fla., told Fox News Digital. "So, I don't know what's prompting it. I think it's all unfortunate."

Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., questioned why Musk would let his young son, nicknamed "X," around Trump if he believed he was closely associated with a pedophile.

"The Biden administration would have put it out. There's nobody that Democrats hate more than Donald J. Trump, and he's handing them their lunch every day. So, I don't put much faith into it," Burchett said.

"Why would he let his kid hang out with the president if that was true? That just doesn't make any sense. And now he's calling for his impeachment. I mean, it's just going off to the deep end."

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla.,  who is leading a task force on declassifying federal investigations, including Epstein's, told reporters she did not think Musk's suggestion held water.

"Speaking to Jeffrey Epstein, I will be very specific that I do believe that if President Trump was in the Epstein files, they would have released it during the primary, and they didn't," Luna said.

MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE

"So, the fact is, is that I do not believe that President Trump is in the Epstein files, the way that it's being implied, but either which way, this is why we continue to push for transparency."

Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., however, stood apart in his answer in calling for more transparency into the Epstein files.

"Facts will bear out whatever they will," Norman said. "The Epstein files are bound to come out, and let it come out. We ought to see it. America has a right to know, just like they do with the John F. Kennedy files, the Bobby Kennedy files."

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt attributed Musk's tirade to Trump's bill, which is focused on working- and middle-class tax relief and not benefiting Musk and his companies enough.

"This is an unfortunate episode from Elon, who is unhappy with the One Big Beautiful Bill because it does not include the policies he wanted. The President is focused on passing this historic piece of legislation and making our country great again," Leavitt said.

Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., told Fox News Digital, "I could not tell you what Elon Musk's motivations are, but I can tell you what we're going to do, which is avoid a $4 trillion tax increase on the American people.

And while it's well-known the two men were acquainted, a source familiar with the matter pointed out that Trump had kicked Epstein out of his Palm Beach Golf Club.

Trump had permanently banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago for hitting on a teenage daughter of a club member, according to a book, "The Grifter's Club." 

"The administration itself released Epstein files with the President’s name included. This is not a new surprise Elon is uncovering. Everyone already knew this," the source said. "If Elon truly thought the President was more deeply involved with Epstein, why did he hang out with him for six months and say he ‘loves him as much as a straight man can love a straight man?'"

Fox News Digital has also reached out to Musk for comment via his office at Tesla.

Mexican drug cartels are getting help from the Chinese to build their drug empire that feeds off American consumers. 

Border patrol officials intercepted 50,000 kilos of precursor chemicals this week used in the process of manufacturing methamphetamines, sent from China and intended for members of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. In addition to providing the cartels with the chemicals needed to make illicit drugs, Chinese entities are also one of the foremost actors in helping them launder their proceeds, according to the Treasury Department.

"For far too long, the Mexican drug cartels have raked in billions of dollars at the expense of our local communities leaving nothing but addiction, death and despair in their wake," said Chad Plantz, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge in Houston. "This initiative provides HSI with a game-changing method to stay one step ahead of the cartels by disrupting the flow of chemicals that they depend on to produce illicit narcotics."

'COMING FOR US': EXPERT SOUNDS ALARM ON CCP'S MISSION TO 'KILL AMERICANS' AFTER FBI MAKES SHOCKING ARRESTS

The seizure was part of an ongoing initiative launched in 2019 to identify suspicious shipments of precursor chemicals from China, India and other countries that are destined for Mexican drug cartels. Since the initiative was established, officials have interdicted more than 1,700,000 kilograms of chemicals used to manufacture methamphetamines and fentanyl, including a seizure this past March of 44,000 kilograms of precursor chemicals at the Port of Houston, destined for the Sinaloa Cartel.

Immigration officials' bust comes amid news of a spate of other incidents involving Chinese nationals or individuals working for China who have engaged in espionage efforts, ranging from agroterroism and selling military secrets, to infiltrating U.S. universities and utilizing American-based products to sow political divisions online.

In the latest incident, two Chinese nationals were charged with allegedly smuggling a "dangerous biological pathogen" into the U.S. to study at a University of Michigan laboratory. This happened amid controversy over the Trump administration's effort to intensify visa scrutiny for Chinese nationals trying to enter the United States.

CHINESE OFFICIAL REPORTEDLY SEEKING TALKS WITH TRUMP ON FENTANYL INGREDIENTS AMID TRADE WAR

Last month, an expansive investigation by a group of Stanford students detailed how there is a culture of students and faculty at their school doing work for the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The report highlighted how some students want to work with the Chinese government, such as through sharing intellectual property or aligning their research priorities with Chinese interests, while others are sometimes coerced into doing work for the CCP, particularly if they have family back in Beijing.

Meanwhile, just this week, reports of Chinese efforts to steal U.S. state secrets or sow political divisions have surfaced. 

On Friday, the Department of Justice indicted two Chinese nationals and a lawful permanent resident for conspiring to traffic sensitive American military technology to the CCP. 

Over the weekend, a British businessman was arrested for attempting to smuggle sensitive U.S. military components to China. 

American artifical intelligence company OpenAI this week also shutdown a Chinese-linked influence operation that was utilizing its ChatGPT product to generate social media posts and sow political division related to U.S. politics online.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"The new visa policy is long overdue," Congresswoman Michele Steel said. "After four years of willful ignorance – or gross incompetence – under the Biden administration, President Trump has wasted no time in directing his administration to take the decisive, necessary action to finally thwart the pervasive and growing threat of Chinese communist espionage."

Angelina Petra Resendiz, 21, was last seen on May 29 around 10 a.m. at the Miller Hall Naval Station in Norfolk, Virginia