A California realtor accused of spying on a Taiwanese official’s family for Beijing was arrested at LAX as she tried to leave for China, federal authorities announced Sunday.
asserted
authorities → accuse → China
Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine, also known as "Heather," allegedly worked with an associate to photograph and record the family outside their Seattle-area home, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.
"We just arrested a Chinese foreign agent at LAX attempting to depart for China," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on X.
Essayli said FBI Los Angeles agents arrested Zhang on a federal charge of acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.
She allegedly traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and sent them photos, videos and license plate information.
uncertain
She → know → photos
"She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection," Essayli wrote.
asserted
Essayli → coordinate → detection
"She never notified the Attorney General she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense."
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she → notify → offense
Speaking on "The Big Weekend Show" Sunday, Essayli said Zhang is a naturalized U.S. citizen and confirmed the alleged surveillance targeted a relative of Taiwan’s president.
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surveillance → speak → president
"She was conducting surveillance on behalf of the Chinese government.
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She → conduct → government
She was acting as a foreign agent," Essayli said.
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Essayli → act → agent
"And she was spying on a relative of the president of Taiwan here in the U.S."
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she → spy → U.S.
He said agents arrested her as she tried to board a flight to Shanghai.
FBI Director Kash Patel also issued a warning to foreign adversaries following Zhang’s arrest.
"Foreign adversaries take note: America is no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations," Patel said.
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Patel → say → operations
Not happening."
"This FBI is hunting threats to our national security wherever they hide — and bringing them to justice," he added.
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he → happen → justice
The alleged target was Ting-Yu Lai, the U.S.-based son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, CBS News reported, citing law enforcement sources.
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News → allege → sources
The complaint does not name him.
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complaint → name → him
It’s that young one," Zhang allegedly messaged a Chinese government contact while outside the home.
uncertain
Zhang → ’ → home
"I am videorecording," she allegedly added before sending two license plate numbers.
uncertain
she → videorecorde → numbers
Zhang and her associate allegedly flew from Las Vegas to Seattle on Sept. 1, 2025, rented a black Nissan Rogue and waited near the family’s home.
uncertain
Zhang → fly → home
When the target returned, a neighbor’s security camera captured the pair quickly sitting up and holding out what appeared to be phones to photograph or record the family, according to the affidavit.
uncertain
what → return → affidavit
Family members, including children, arrived shortly afterward.
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members → include → children
"While individual 1 took pictures, Zhang reclined her seat as if to avoid being seen," FBI Special Agent Kevin Holt wrote.
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Holt → take → seat
Days later, Zhang allegedly told her associate to transfer the surveillance photos through AirDrop.
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Zhang → tell → AirDrop
I have to send it back.
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I → have → it
He wants me to send it back today," she said in an audio message described in the affidavit.
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she → want → affidavit
Holt said he believed the instruction was intended to help avoid detection.
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instruction → say → detection
The associate later told Zhang he had deleted the photos and cleared them from his deleted folder, which Holt described as an apparent attempt to destroy evidence.
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Holt → tell → evidence
Investigators believe Zhang received the surveillance assignment during a June 2025 meeting with a Chinese government contact in Changsha, China.
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Zhang → believe → Changsha
"I can take care of this thing," she allegedly told the contact.
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she → take → contact
Holt warned that information about a senior Taiwanese official’s relatives, including their homes and cars, could give Beijing leverage over Taiwan’s president during a potential conflict.
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information → warn → conflict
"Engaging in surveillance of a close relative of a high-ranking member of Taiwan’s government is not normal diplomatic behavior, especially inside of the United States," he wrote.
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he → engage → States
Essayli warned on "The Big Weekend Show" that the threat extends beyond California.
"
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threat → warn → California
China’s very good at using people who are already here," he said.
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he → ’ → people
"I don’t think it’s unique to California.
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it → think → California
It is happening nationwide."
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It → happen → ?
Essayli said Zhang is scheduled to appear Monday in federal court in Los Angeles and noted that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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defendants → say → Angeles
The arrest comes months after former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang was charged in a separate case with acting as an agent of China involving paid efforts to spread pro-Beijing propaganda in the United States.
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Wang → come → States
Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI and the Justice Department for comment and additional information.
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Digital → reach → comment
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