FBI Arrests California Woman Accused Of Spying On Taiwan President’s Son For China
The FBI has arrested a California woman accused of acting as an unregistered Chinese foreign agent and surveilling the son of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te in the United States at the direction of Chinese officials.
Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, 34, of Irvine, California, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday as she prepared to board a flight to China. She is due to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday.
US authorities allege Zhang travelled to Seattle in September 2025 with an associate to surveil a close relative of a senior Taiwanese government official. The FBI later identified the alleged target as Lai Ting-yu, the US-based son of President Lai.
According to the criminal complaint, Zhang and the unidentified associate rented a black Nissan Rogue and travelled to the Seattle area, where they allegedly monitored Lai’s home and family. Security-camera images cited in the complaint reportedly showed the pair near the residence while Lai, his wife and their child arrived home.
The Justice Department alleges Zhang collected and sent photographs, videos and vehicle licence-plate information to Chinese officials. Investigators also reportedly found messages between Zhang and people she appeared to acknowledge as Chinese government contacts.
US prosecutors said Zhang used covert methods, or “tradecraft”, to avoid detection and failed to notify the US government that she was acting on behalf of a foreign government. Such conduct forms the basis of the federal charge against her.
The FBI did not initially publicly identify Lai’s son, but later shared a report naming him as Lai Ting-yu, who is a US resident and works as an engineer for Dutch electronics company Philips, according to Taiwanese media reports. Investigators said information about the locations of the homes and vehicles of the Taiwanese official’s relatives could potentially provide China with leverage over the president during a future conflict.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office strongly condemned the alleged operation as a case of “transnational repression” and thanked US authorities for protecting Taiwanese citizens. Spokesperson Karen Kuo said such actions disregard human rights and national sovereignty and are intended to intimidate or threaten people who support freedom and democracy.
China’s Foreign Ministry and embassy in Washington have not commented on the allegations. It was also not immediately clear whether Zhang had a lawyer.