The FBI arrested Wanying “Heather” Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, at Los Angeles International Airport as she attempted to board a flight to China, accusing her of operating in the United States on behalf of the People’s Republic of China without notifying the federal government. Prosecutors allege Zhang carried out surveillance targeting the close relative of a senior Taiwanese official as part of activity directed by Beijing.

According to a federal criminal complaint, Zhang and another individual traveled to the Seattle area in September 2025 and surveilled the home of Lai Ting-yu, the U.S.-based son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te. Investigators allege the pair photographed and recorded Lai and members of his family and collected information including vehicle license plates.

The complaint alleges Zhang communicated with an individual tied to the Chinese government while carrying out the surveillance. Messages cited by investigators allegedly included updates after the target was located and information gathered during the operation. Federal authorities say portions of those communications were obtained through a search warrant served on Zhang’s iCloud account.

The FBI said the activity is significant because information about relatives of senior foreign officials, including their residences and vehicles, could potentially be used by a foreign government to gain leverage or facilitate further intelligence activity. The complaint does not allege that any attack was carried out against Lai or his family, and the charges remain allegations that must be proven in court.

Zhang is accused of violating federal law prohibiting individuals from acting in the United States as agents of a foreign government without prior notification to the attorney general. The statute has increasingly been used in federal counterintelligence cases involving alleged covert tasking, surveillance and recruitment activity conducted on behalf of foreign governments.

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The case comes amid continuing U.S. scrutiny of alleged Chinese intelligence operations inside the country. The Justice Department has brought a series of cases in recent years accusing individuals of conducting clandestine taskings for Chinese authorities, including surveillance of dissidents, collection of information and attempts to recruit potential intelligence assets.

Zhang was taken into federal custody before leaving the United States. The case will now proceed through federal court in Los Angeles, where prosecutors will be required to substantiate the allegations contained in the criminal complaint. As with all federal criminal cases, Zhang is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.