A realtor from California has been arrested at LAX while attempting to leave for China, following accusations of spying on a Taiwanese official’s family for the Chinese government, according to federal authorities who announced the arrest on Sunday.
Wanying Zhang, a 34-year-old Irvine resident also known as “Heather,” is alleged to have collaborated with an associate to photograph and record the family outside their residence near Seattle. This information comes from a criminal complaint obtained by various sources.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli shared on social media that, “We just arrested a Chinese foreign agent at LAX attempting to depart for China.”
Essayli indicated that Zhang was taken into custody on a federal charge of acting as an unregistered agent for the People’s Republic of China. It’s alleged that in 2025, she traveled to Seattle at the direction of Chinese officials, gathering and sending photos, videos, and license plate details back to China.
The complaint notes that she coordinated her trip with her associate and employed tactics to remain undetected. She reportedly failed to inform the Attorney General of her activities on behalf of a foreign government, which is a federal offense.
During a discussion on a weekend show, Essayli confirmed that Zhang is a naturalized U.S. citizen, and pointed out that her surveillance had targeted a family member of Taiwan’s president. He stated, “She was conducting surveillance on behalf of the Chinese government. She was acting as a foreign agent, and she was spying on a relative of the president of Taiwan here in the U.S.”
He mentioned that she was arrested while trying to board a flight to Shanghai.
FBI Director Kash Patel had a stark warning for foreign adversaries following Zhang’s arrest, remarking, “Foreign adversaries take note: America is no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations.” He further commented, “Allegedly surveil a foreign leader’s family on U.S. soil for the PRC — and try to catch a flight back to Shanghai? Not happening.”
The individual Zhang allegedly targeted is Ting-Yu Lai, the son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, though the complaint does not disclose his name. Zhang reportedly messaged a Chinese contact while surveilling, saying, “Saw him. Young male. It’s that young one,” along with additional details about the family’s vehicle.
Zhang and the associate are said to have traveled from Las Vegas to Seattle in September 2025, renting a vehicle and waiting near the family’s home. A neighbor’s security camera captured them quickly preparing to photograph or record the family as they returned, which included children. According to a special agent’s report, Zhang reclined her seat to avoid being seen while her associate took pictures.
Not long after, she allegedly instructed her associate to send the images through AirDrop to evade detection. There are also indications from the associate that he attempted to erase the photos, which could be interpreted as an effort to destroy evidence.
Investigators believe Zhang received the surveillance task during a meeting with a Chinese contact in June 2025. Holt, the FBI agent, warned that such activities involving relatives of high-ranking officials can potentially give Beijing leverage over Taiwan’s government, particularly during tense situations.
Essayli remarked that the issue extends beyond California, indicating that such operations are occurring nationwide, not just in this state. Zhang is due in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, where she, like all defendants, is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This arrest follows the earlier case against former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang, who faced charges related to pro-Beijing propaganda efforts in the United States.
