Wanying “Heather” Zhang was arrested at LAX before a flight to Shanghai and accused of surveilling Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s son.
LOS ANGELES, CA — FBI agents arrested a 34-year-old Irvine real estate agent at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, accusing her of acting as an unregistered agent of China and conducting surveillance on a son of Taiwan’s president, according to federal authorities and court records.
Wanying “Heather” Zhang was taken into custody before she was scheduled to depart for Shanghai, authorities said. A federal complaint charges Zhang with acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China. Investigators allege she traveled to the Seattle area in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and gathered information about a close relative of a senior Taiwanese government official. Federal authorities have since identified the alleged target as a son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
According to the federal complaint, Zhang and an associate traveled to the Seattle area in September 2025 and conducted surveillance near the relative’s home. Investigators allege they gathered photographs, video and vehicle license plate information involving the relative and family members. Zhang then allegedly transmitted information from the surveillance to contacts connected to the Chinese government.
Law enforcement sources identified the surveillance target as Lai Ting-yu, a son of Taiwan’s president who lives in the United States. The complaint itself described the person as a close relative of a high-ranking Taiwanese government official rather than publicly naming him. The FBI later referenced reporting identifying Lai Ting-yu as the alleged target.
Investigators allege Zhang was in contact with at least two people she understood to be Chinese government officials. The complaint describes electronic communications that authorities say documented planning before the Seattle trip and communication during the alleged surveillance. Federal investigators also allege Zhang coordinated with another person and took measures intended to avoid detection.
The criminal complaint alleges Zhang did not notify the U.S. attorney general that she was acting on behalf of a foreign government. Federal law requires certain people acting in the United States as agents of foreign governments to provide notification to the attorney general. Zhang is accused of violating that requirement. The allegations are contained in a criminal complaint and have not been proven in court.
Zhang is a California real estate agent from Irvine, according to federal authorities and public real estate records. She was arrested as she prepared to leave the United States for China. Authorities have not alleged in the publicly reported charge that her real estate work itself was part of the suspected foreign-agent activity.
The case also drew a response from Taiwan. Taiwan’s presidential office described the alleged surveillance as a form of transnational repression and condemned efforts to monitor or threaten Taiwanese people and their families abroad. China’s Foreign Ministry said it was not familiar with the circumstances of the case and criticized what it described as the sensationalizing of allegations about Chinese spies.
The allegations come amid continuing tensions between Beijing and Taipei. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while Taiwan has its own elected government. President Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party have emphasized Taiwan’s separate political identity, while Beijing has strongly opposed moves it views as promoting Taiwanese independence. U.S. authorities have previously prosecuted other cases involving allegations that people in the United States secretly acted at the direction of Chinese officials.
Zhang was expected to make her initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday. It was not immediately clear from the available reporting whether she had retained an attorney. The case remains at the complaint stage, and Zhang is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Author note: Last updated October 5, 2026.