FBI arrests alleged Chinese agent at LAX after she allegedly surveilled son of Taiwanese president
Prosecutors say she filmed the president’s son and his family, then sent photos, videos and license plates to Chinese handlers.
- On Sunday, federal law enforcement arrested Irvine, California, realtor Wanying "Heather" Zhang at Los Angeles International Airport before she boarded a flight to Shanghai, China, charging her with acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China.
- According to an Oct. 3, 2026, criminal complaint filed by FBI Special Agent Kevin Holt, the PRC sought leverage over Taiwan's president during potential conflict by obtaining photographs and location data of close relatives, including the president's son.
- Text messages obtained via an iCloud warrant show Zhang texting a handler, "Saw him. It's that young one," and "I am videorecording," while neighbor security cameras allegedly captured the pair appearing to film Ting-Yu Lai's family in September 2025.
- Ting-Yu, a Philips employee in his 30s, attended college in America and has a U.S.-born child. This arrest follows federal prosecutions of Chinese agents, including Shujun Wang, who infiltrated pro-democracy activists in New York for 17 years.
- Zhang's husband, Edric Ding, told CBS News on Sunday he did not know details about the allegations. The investigation remains ongoing as federal authorities continue targeting suspected foreign intelligence operations within the United States.
120 Articles
120 Articles
The FBI arrested a 34-year-old woman in California, accused of acting as an unregistered agent of China and supervising a close relative of Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te. Wanying "Heather is said to have received instructions from Chinese officials and collected photos, as well as other information about the Taiwanese leader's family.
Wanying Zhang, 34, is accused of having watched Lai Ching-te's son and his relatives residing in the United States. She was arrested at Los Angeles airport and is scheduled to appear in a federal court on Monday.
A woman accused of spying for China on behalf of the son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and his family was arrested in the United States on Sunday, US and Taiwanese officials said.
The real estate agent Wanying Zhang was arrested in Los Angeles when she was flying to Shanghai. Investigators claim that she photographed the family of Taiwanese leader Lai Ching-te to inform Beijing officials. Read
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