US federal authorities arrested a California real estate agent at Los Angeles International Airport after she allegedly conducted surveillance on the US-based son of Taiwan's president on behalf of Chinese government officials, according to an FBI criminal complaint and law enforcement sources.
Wanying “Heather” Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, was arrested, as she prepared to board a flight to Shanghai. As per the FA United States Attorney Bill Essayli, "Wanying Zhang, aka “Heather,” 34, of Irvine, was arrested today by FBI Los Angeles on a federal complaint charging her with acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China."
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The FBI alleges Zhang and an unidentified accomplice traveled from Las Vegas to Seattle in September 2025, rented a black Nissan Rogue and went to the suburban home of Ting-Yu Lai, the son of Taiwanese President Ching-Te Lai. Investigators say the pair photographed or recorded Lai, his wife and their child as they arrived home.
According to the complaint, Zhang messaged a presumed Chinese government handler on WeChat, stating she had spotted and recorded the target. FBI Special Agent Kevin Holt noted these messages were later recovered during a search of Zhang's iCloud account.
"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," Essayli added.
He further added, "She will appear in federal court in Los Angeles tomorrow for her initial appearance. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty."
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. 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. 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. She will appear in federal court in Los Angeles tomorrow for her initial appearance. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) October 4, 2026
Investigators said the alleged operation could have been intended to provide Beijing with information that could be used as leverage against Taiwan's president during a potential conflict. The location of family members, homes and vehicles belonging to senior Taiwanese officials could have intelligence value, the FBI said.
Young Lai, an engineer in his 30s, studied in the United States and now works for Philips.
Who Is Wanying 'Heather' Zhang?
In June 2025, a former classmate linked to Beijing's University of International Relations allegedly introduced Zhang to Chinese officials. Holt noted the university has ties to China's Ministry of State Security. During a trip to Changsha that month, Zhang allegedly met an official and accepted a surveillance assignment.
Investigators allege she later traveled to Changsha, China, to meet the official and receive surveillance instructions. On September 1, 2025, Zhang and an accomplice identified as "Individual 1" reportedly flew from Las Vegas to Seattle, rented a black Nissan Rogue, and drove to the family's home.
As Per CBS News, Zhang holds a California real estate license and is employed at the same firm as her husband, Edric Ding.
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This case highlights rising US-China tensions over alleged Chinese intelligence operations targeting domestic dissidents and activists.
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