Suspected Chinese Foreign Agent Arrested at Los Angeles Airport
The suspect, a 34-year-old from California, was allegedly conducting surveillance on the Taiwanese President’s family.
FBI agents arrested 34-year-old Wanying "Heather" Zhang at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, October 4, 2026, as she attempted to depart for China. Zhang, a 34-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen, is accused of acting as an unregistered Chinese foreign agent, according to prosecutors. She is set to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday.
Zhang allegedly surveilled the family of Taiwan's President Ting-yu Lai, according to the First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. The FBI claims Zhang was in contact with at least two individuals believed to be working for the Chinese government. She allegedly used "tradecraft to avoid detection" and never notified the Attorney General of her actions on behalf of a foreign government, as required by federal law.
The FBI obtained a search warrant on Zhang's iCloud account and found evidence of her alleged activities. Zhang allegedly sent messages to a Chinese government contact, identifying the target as the son of Taiwan's President and providing license plate numbers linked to the victim's vehicle.
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