A California real estate agent was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Sunday for allegedly acting as an agent of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and surveilling the son of Taiwan’s president.
Wanying Zhang, 34, also known as “Heather,” was taken into custody by the FBI while attempting to board a flight to Shanghai.
Federal prosecutors allege that Zhang, who was residing in Irvine, secretly worked at the direction of officials from China without registering as a foreign agent.
Her alleged target was a close relative of a senior Taiwanese government official, identified as Ting-Yu Lai, the son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
According to the federal complaint, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and conducted surveillance on the relative’s home.
This included gathering photographs, video footage, and vehicle license plate information before sending the material to her alleged Chinese government contacts.
We just arrested a Chinese foreign agent at LAX attempting to depart for China.
Wanying Zhang, aka “Heather,” 34, of Irvine, was arrested today by @FBILosAngeles on a federal complaint charging her with acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.… pic.twitter.com/6YHoeErg5B
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 4, 2026
Investigators say WeChat messages recovered from Zhang’s iCloud account documented her communications with suspected PRC officials.
During one September 2025 exchange, Zhang allegedly told one of her contacts that she had spotted her target.
“It’s that young one,” Zhang wrote, according to the complaint.
When the contact asked to speak with her by audio call, Zhang allegedly responded that she was busy recording a video of him.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Zhang had been operating under instructions from Beijing.
“According to the affidavit, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and, at the direction of PRC officials, surveilled a close relative of a Taiwanese government official, sending photos, videos, and license plate information to those officials,” Essayli said.
LATEST: A 34-year-old Irvine woman accused of spying for China was arrested at LAX while preparing to board a flight to China, federal prosecutors say.
FOX 11 obtained video showing Wanying “Heather” Zhang being taken into custody.
Prosecutors allege she surveilled the son of… pic.twitter.com/GVqlesfZRE
— Matthew Seedorff (@MattSeedorff) October 5, 2026
“She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection.”
”She never notified the Attorney General she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense.”
The complaint alleges Zhang’s communications with her suspected Chinese government contacts stretched back to at least 2022.
In one exchange, she allegedly asked a contact, “Which bureau in the ministry are you in again?”
Other messages described plans to meet in Beijing and later discussions about meetings with a suspected Chinese official in the United States.
Zhang is expected to make her initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles following her arrest.
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