A California real estate agent accused of conducting surveillance on behalf of Beijing was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while allegedly preparing to board a flight to China, federal officials said Sunday.
Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine, who also goes by “Heather,” allegedly worked with another person to photograph and record members of a Taiwanese official’s family outside their home in the Seattle area, according to a federal criminal complaint obtained by News Outlet.
“We just arrested a Chinese foreign agent at LAX attempting to depart for China,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a post on X.
Wanying “Heather” Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, was arrested at LAX on Oct. 4, 2026, on a charge of acting as an unregistered agent of China. (United States Attorney’s Office – Central District of California)
Essayli said FBI agents in Los Angeles arrested Zhang on a federal charge alleging that she acted in the United States as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.
Investigators allege that Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 under instructions from Chinese officials, later providing them with photographs, video recordings and vehicle license plate details.
“She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection,” Essayli wrote. He said Zhang never disclosed to the attorney general that she was working on behalf of a foreign government, as required under federal law.
During an appearance Sunday on “The Big Weekend Show,” Essayli said Zhang is a naturalized U.S. citizen and confirmed that the alleged surveillance involved a relative of Taiwan’s president.
“She was conducting surveillance on behalf of the Chinese government. She was acting as a foreign agent,” Essayli said. “And she was spying on a relative of the president of Taiwan here in the U.S.”
According to Essayli, federal agents took Zhang into custody as she attempted to board a flight bound for Shanghai.
FBI Director Kash Patel issued his own warning to foreign governments and other adversaries after the arrest.
“Foreign adversaries take note: America is no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations,” Patel said.
“Allegedly surveil a foreign leader’s family on U.S. soil for the PRC — and try to catch a flight back to Shanghai? Not happening.”
“This FBI is hunting threats to our national security wherever they hide — and bringing them to justice,” he added.
The alleged target was Ting-Yu Lai, the U.S.-based son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, CBS News reported, citing law enforcement sources. Lai is not identified by name in the federal complaint.
While outside the residence, Zhang allegedly messaged a Chinese government contact: “Saw him. Young male. It’s that young one.”
“I am videorecording,” she allegedly wrote before sending two vehicle license plate numbers.
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The complaint alleges that Zhang and her associate flew from Las Vegas to Seattle on Sept. 1, 2025, rented a black Nissan Rogue and positioned themselves near the family’s residence.
When the person they were allegedly watching returned, a neighbor’s security camera recorded the pair suddenly sitting upright and extending what appeared to be phones toward the family, apparently to take pictures or video. Relatives, including children, arrived soon afterward, according to the affidavit.
“While individual 1 took pictures, Zhang reclined her seat as if to avoid being seen,” FBI Special Agent Kevin Holt wrote in the affidavit.
Days later, Zhang allegedly told her associate to transfer the surveillance photos through AirDrop.
Wanying Zhang, right, appears beside a man whose face is redacted in a photo included in the federal complaint against her. (United States Attorney’s Office – Central District of California)
“Seattle pictures, don’t send via WeChat or text. Must be sent over the air. I have to send it back. He wants me to send it back today,” she said in an audio message described in the affidavit.
Holt said he believed the instruction was intended to help avoid detection. The associate later told Zhang he had deleted the photos and cleared them from his deleted folder, which Holt described as an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
Investigators believe Zhang received the surveillance assignment during a June 2025 meeting with a Chinese government contact in Changsha, China.
“I can take care of this thing,” she allegedly told the contact.
Holt warned that information about a senior Taiwanese official’s relatives, including their homes and cars, could give Beijing leverage over Taiwan’s president during a potential conflict.
“Engaging in surveillance of a close relative of a high-ranking member of Taiwan’s government is not normal diplomatic behavior, especially inside of the United States,” he wrote.
Essayli warned on “The Big Weekend Show” that the threat extends beyond California.
“China’s very good at using people who are already here,” he said. “I don’t think it’s unique to California. It is happening nationwide.”
Essayli said Zhang is scheduled to appear Monday in federal court in Los Angeles and noted that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The arrest comes months after former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang was charged in a separate case with acting as an agent of China involving paid efforts to spread pro-Beijing propaganda in the United States.
News Outlet reached out to the FBI and the Justice Department for comment and additional information.
