From the New York Times:

9 Arrested in Plan to Oust Laos Government

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

Published: June 5, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, June 4 – Federal agents raided more than a dozen homes and businesses in California and arrested nine men on Monday, breaking up what they said was a plot to overthrow the government of Laos. One of those arrested, Gen. Vang Pao, is a prominent Hmong fighter and a leader in exile in the United States since the Communist takeover of Laos in 1975. Officials said the plot, uncovered after a six-month investigation, was for the group to spend nearly $10 million to buy an assortment of machine guns, explosives, surface-to-air missiles, shoulder-fired rockets and other weapons to attack government buildings in the Laotian capital, Vientiane, and elsewhere. “This investigation read like a movie script but turned out to be reality,” McGregor W. Scott, United States attorney for Eastern California, said in a statement. General Vang, who is in his 70s, was arrested in the southern California town of Westminster, where he lives. The nine men were charged with multiple counts of conspiracy and violation of the Neutrality Act, which forbids Americans to engage in military action against countries with which the nation is at peace. General Vang and five of the other men were charged with trying to obtain Stinger missiles, which can shoot down aircraft from the ground.