FBI arrests alleged Chinese agent at LAX after she allegedly surveilled son of Taiwanese president
The FBI arrested Wanying 'Heather' Zhang at LAX for allegedly acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government. Authorities claim she surveilled the U.S.-based son of Taiwanese President Ching-Te Lai to gain potential leverage.
Why it matters
The arrest underscores the heightened geopolitical tensions between the U.S., China, and Taiwan, particularly regarding espionage and the protection of high-profile political figures.
The FBI arrested a suspected Chinese agent at Los Angeles International Airport after she allegedly surveilled the Taiwanese president's U.S.-based son, law enforcement sources told CBS News.Wanying "Heather" Zhang, an Irvine, California, realtor, was cuffed by federal law enforcement on Sunday before she boarded a flight to Shanghai, China, from LAX, on a charge of acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.Zhang's husband Edric Ding, a realtor at the same firm, told CBS News when reached by phone Sunday: "I don't know anything yet," and declined to comment further.It was not immediately clear if Zhang has an attorney.A criminal complaint, filed in federal court by a member of the FBI's counterintelligence squad in L.A., accused Zhang and an accomplice of traveling to Seattle, Washington, in September 2025 and taking pictures at the suburban home of a top Taiwanese official's family.Law enforcement sources told CBS News that the target…
Also covering this story
5 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
California woman arrested and accused of spying on Taiwan president’s son for China
California man arrested on charges of smuggling banned Nvidia chips to China
U.S. accuses California woman of spying for China, surveilling Taiwan leader's son
US Woman Accused Of Spying For China, Surveilling Taiwan President's Son
FBI arrests a woman accused of spying on Taiwan leader's family for China
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in