Federal agents arrested Wanying Zhang at Los Angeles airport and charged her with acting as an unregistered agent of China, alleging she surveilled a relative of Taiwan's president.
The FBI arrested Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, at Los Angeles International Airport as she prepared to fly to China, prosecutors said. She is charged with acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China.
Associated Press reported that agents allege Zhang surveilled the house of a son of Taiwan's president and sent photos, videos and licence-plate information to a Chinese official. The criminal complaint does not name the target. The FBI's account on X said it was the president's son. AP identified Ting-Yu Lai, the elder son of President Lai Ching-te, as living and working in the Seattle area.
First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said Zhang, also known as Heather, was arrested Sunday. UPI reported that the affidavit alleges she travelled to Seattle in 2025 and, at the direction of PRC officials, surveilled a close relative of a Taiwanese official, coordinating with an associate.
The case comes as Washington and Beijing remain at odds over Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. The reports describe allegations in a criminal complaint. Zhang had not been convicted.
No court date was included in the reports reviewed. The complaint is the charging document, not a finding of guilt.