Gambiaj.com – (CALIFORNIA, United States) – The FBI has arrested a 34-year-old California real estate agent accused of conducting surveillance on the son of Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te on behalf of Chinese officials.
Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, October 4, as she was preparing to board a flight to Shanghai. US authorities have charged her with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Zhang travelled to Seattle in September 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and monitored a close relative of a senior Taiwanese official. US authorities allege that she photographed and filmed the family’s home and vehicles and passed information, including vehicle registration numbers, to her contacts.
The alleged target was later identified as Lai Ting-yu, a son of President Lai who was living in the United States. The FBI said Zhang and an alleged accomplice used measures intended to avoid detection while carrying out the surveillance.
FBI cites messages allegedly sent to Chinese contacts
The allegations against Zhang include communications on WeChat that US authorities say show her reporting back to her handlers.
In one exchange cited in the case, Zhang allegedly told a contact that she had seen a young man and was filming him, accompanying the message with a video and two vehicle registration numbers. The contact responded by thanking her for her efforts.
US prosecutors say the information could potentially provide Chinese authorities with details about the movements, homes, and vehicles of members of the Taiwanese president’s family.
Zhang was due to appear before a federal court in Los Angeles on Monday. It was not immediately clear whether she had a lawyer representing her.
Taiwan condemns alleged surveillance
Taiwan’s presidential office condemned the alleged operation, describing it as a case of “transnational repression” and thanking US authorities for protecting Taiwanese citizens.
Presidential spokesperson Karen Kuo said Taiwan strongly condemned what she described as conduct that disregarded human rights and national sovereignty.
The case comes amid persistent tensions between Beijing and Taipei. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory, while President Lai and his government maintain that Taiwan’s future should be determined by its people. Washington, although it does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taipei, remains Taiwan’s principal international security partner.
The arrest also comes at a sensitive moment in US-China relations, with Taiwan remaining one of the central points of disagreement between Washington and Beijing.
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