California woman accused of spying on Taiwanese official’s family for China
A California woman has been arrested on a federal charge of acting as an unregistered agent for China, including allegedly conducting surveillance of a senior Taiwanese official’s family. She was detained at an airport before a planned flight to China.
Wanying Zhang, 34, also known as “Heather Zhang,” of Irvine, was arrested Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California.
The criminal complaint alleges the suspect worked under the direction of Chinese government officials between June and September 2025 without notifying the U.S. attorney general, as required by federal law.
During a trip to China in June 2025, she met with government officials who assigned her to conduct surveillance of relatives of a high-ranking Taiwanese official at their home in the United States, according to the complaint.
On August 29, 2025, the suspect and another person flew from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to Las Vegas. Three days later, they boarded another flight to the state where the relatives lived.
“Boarding now,” she allegedly messaged a Chinese government official, along with a photograph of her boarding pass.
After arriving, the pair rented a car and drove to the home to conduct surveillance, prosecutors said. The suspect then sent the official a message saying: “Saw him, young male, it’s the young one.”
When the official asked her to join an audio call, she replied, “I am videorecording,” according to the complaint. She also allegedly sent the license plate numbers of two vehicles parked outside the home.
The Taiwanese official and relatives were not identified in the announcement.
“The central allegation here – that Zhang, at the behest of the People’s Republic of China, covertly surveilled relatives of a high-ranking foreign government official in the United States – is deeply troubling,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
The FBI is investigating the case. The suspect faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
