Irvine woman accused of spying for China arrested by FBI agents at LAX
The FBI arrested an Irvine woman at LAX on charges of acting as an unregistered agent for the Chinese government. She is accused of surveilling a Taiwanese official's relative, while a separate, unrelated arrest of a woman for immigration violations also occurred at the airport.
Why it matters
The case highlights ongoing federal efforts to counter foreign espionage and influence operations within the United States.
The FBI arrested a woman at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Friday, claiming she's a Chinese spy.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said the FBI arrested 34-year-old Wanying "Heather" Zhang of Irvine as she was attempting to travel to China.
He shared a video on social media of Zhang in handcuffs with several FBI agents.
Zhang is accused of acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
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9 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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