Key facts
- US authorities arrested Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, on Sunday.
- Zhang is accused of acting as an unregistered foreign agent for China.
- The FBI alleges Zhang surveilled a son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.
- Zhang allegedly sent photos, video, and license plate information of the target and his family to Chinese officials.
- Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials.
US authorities arrested a California woman on Sunday and accused her of spying on a son of Taiwan's president at the behest of Chinese officials, the FBI said. Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport before her planned departure to China. Authorities charged Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, with acting as an unregistered foreign agent. The FBI stated Zhang surveilled a son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. The agency did not directly name Zhang's alleged target, but later shared a New York Post report identifying him as Lai Ting-yu, a US resident. The Justice Department said Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and subsequently sent them photos, video, and license plate information of the Taiwanese leader's son and his family. Bill Essayli, the first assistant US attorney for the Central District of California, said Zhang used tradecraft to avoid detection and never notified Washington that she was acting for a foreign government. Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party champion Taiwan's separate identity from China, a position that frequently angers Beijing, which views the island as Chinese territory. Washington does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the United States is the island's most important international backer and weapons supplier.