Chinese foreign agent at LAX
Alleged Chinese foreign agent detained at LAX trying to depart for China X/@USAttyEssayli

A California real estate agent has been arrested at Los Angeles International Airport while allegedly preparing to fly to China after being accused of conducting surveillance on the son of Taiwan's president.

Wanying 'Heather' Zhang, 34, of Irvine, was arrested on 4 October as she prepared to board a flight to Shanghai. A federal criminal complaint accuses Zhang of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government and conducting surveillance on the family of a senior Taiwanese official. Law enforcement sources identified the alleged target to CBS News as Ting-Yu Lai, the US-based son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te.

According to the complaint, Zhang travelled to Seattle in September 2025 and allegedly sent photographs, video and vehicle registration information to people investigators linked to the Chinese government. In one message, she allegedly wrote, 'Saw him. Young male. It's that young one.' She later wrote, 'I am videorecording,' before sending two licence plate numbers.

Surveillance Operation and Digital Evidence

According to an affidavit submitted by FBI Special Agent Kevin Holt, Zhang and an unidentified associate flew from Las Vegas to Seattle on 1 September 2025, rented a black Nissan Rogue and travelled to a property associated with Lai and his family.

Neighbouring security-camera footage allegedly showed the pair appearing to film Lai, his wife and their child as they arrived home. CBS said it matched the footage to an address near Seattle owned by Lai.

Investigators allegedly recovered messages from Zhang's iCloud account through a search warrant. The WeChat messages included updates about Lai and information about vehicles at the property.

The FBI alleges the information could have given Beijing potential leverage over Taiwan's president during a future conflict. Investigators also allege Zhang and her associate used measures intended to avoid detection, including transferring surveillance images through AirDrop instead of WeChat or text.

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Alleged Recruitment in China

Federal authorities allege Zhang was recruited during a visit to Changsha, China, in June 2025.

Investigators say a former classmate from Beijing's University of International Relations introduced her to a Chinese government official. The complaint alleges Zhang later met the official privately in Changsha and accepted instructions for the surveillance operation.

Investigators also allege she remained in contact with people she appeared to understand were working for the Chinese government.

First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said Zhang had not notified the US Attorney General that she was acting on behalf of a foreign government. Federal authorities have charged her with acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China.

Zhang's husband, Edric Ding, who works as a real estate agent at the same firm, told CBS he did not know about the allegations and declined to comment further. It was not immediately clear whether Zhang had a lawyer.

Taiwan Condemns Alleged Surveillance

Taiwan's presidential office condemned the alleged operation as transnational repression and thanked the US government for protecting Taiwanese citizens, according to Reuters. China's foreign ministry had not commented at the time of the report.

Zhang was scheduled to make her initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles on 5 October.

She remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The allegations in the criminal complaint have not been tested in court.

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