Terror in Little Saigon in partnership with Frontline

Help Us Investigate the Murders of Five Vietnamese-American Journalists

Between 1981 and 1990, five Vietnamese-American journalists were killed in what the FBI suspected was a string of political assassinations. Unlike other violent attacks against journalists, these murders garnered relatively little attention. The FBI came to believe that an organization headed by former South Vietnamese military officers, known as the National United Front for the Liberation of Vietnam, was responsible for this terror campaign. But not a single arrest was ever made. Now, a ProPublica/Frontline investigation has unearthed new evidence tying members of the Front to some of the murders. But we know there is more to this story. ProPublica reporter A.C. Thompson explains.

The Victims

Nguyen Dam Phong

  • Newspaper editor and publisher
  • Killed 1982
  • Houston, Texas

Duong Trong Lam

  • Newspaper publisher
  • Killed 1981
  • San Francisco, California

Pham Van Tap

  • Magazine publisher
  • Killed 1987
  • Orange Country, California

Do Trong Nhan

  • Journalist
  • Killed 1989
  • Fairfax County, Virginia

Doan Van Toai

  • Writer, activist
  • Survived 1989 shooting
  • Fresno, California

Le Triet

  • Journalist
  • Killed 1990
  • Fairfax County, Virginia

Know Anything About These Killings? Send Us a Tip

Read our investigation to learn more about these cases and the victims. If you know anything about these murders or were a victim of political terrorism during this time, you can help our investigation by sending us a tip below. Feel free to contact us in Vietnamese.

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By Phone

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By Mail

ProPublica
c/o A.C. Thompson
155 Avenue of the Americas
13th Floor
New York, NY 10013-1507