A California woman has been arrested and accused of spying on the son of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on behalf of Chinese officials, according to the FBI.
Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, 34, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday as she prepared to travel to China. She has been charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
The FBI said Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and allegedly sent them photographs, videos and vehicle licence plate information involving Lai’s son and his family.
The agency did not initially identify Zhang’s alleged target, but later shared a New York Post report naming him as Lai Ting-yu, who is a US resident.
Bill Essayli, first assistant US attorney for the Central District of California, said Zhang allegedly used surveillance techniques to avoid detection and failed to notify US authorities that she was acting on behalf of a foreign government.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
It was not immediately clear whether Zhang had legal representation. She is expected to appear in a Los Angeles federal court on Monday, Essayli said.
Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party support Taiwan’s separate identity from China, a position strongly opposed by Beijing, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory.
Although the US does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, Washington remains the island’s most important international supporter and a major supplier of military equipment.
