Federal agents arrested Wanying Zhang at Los Angeles International Airport and charged her with acting as an unregistered agent of China.
US authorities arrested a California woman on Sunday and accused her of spying for Chinese officials, Reuters reported. The FBI said agents took Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, into custody at Los Angeles International Airport before a planned departure to China.
Zhang, 34, of Irvine, was charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Prosecutors say she surveilled a son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. The FBI did not name the target in its statement; Reuters said the agency later shared a New York Post report identifying him as Lai Ting-yu, a US resident.
CNN, citing a complaint signed on Saturday, reported that Zhang allegedly travelled to Seattle in 2025 and, with another person, waited outside a relative's home in a rented vehicle. First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said she used tradecraft and did not notify the attorney general that she was acting for a foreign government.
Taiwan's presidential office called the case a typical example of transnational repression and thanked the United States for protecting Taiwanese citizens, Reuters reported. It was not clear whether Zhang had a lawyer. China was observing a National Day holiday, and CNN said it had sought comment from the Chinese embassy.
The charge is an allegation. The case is expected to proceed in federal court in California; no plea had been reported on Monday morning.