The FBI arrested a woman at Los Angeles International Airport suspected of being a Chinese agent. She allegedly spied on the U.S.-based son of Taiwan’s president, according to sources in law enforcement.
Wanying ‘Heather’ Zhang, a realtor from Irvine, California, was arrested by federal authorities on a charge of acting as an unregistered foreign government agent. Zhang was apprehended before boarding a flight to Shanghai, China. Her husband, Edric Ding, who works as a realtor at the same firm, was reached by phone and declined to comment, stating he lacked information.
A criminal complaint in federal court accuses Zhang and an accomplice of visiting Seattle, Washington, in September 2025. They allegedly photographed the home of a prominent family, related to a top Taiwanese official. The FBI identified the target as Ting-Yu Lai, the son of Taiwanese President Ching-Te Lai.
Ting-Yu, an engineer in his 30s, studied in the U.S. and works for Philips, a Dutch electronics company. He has a young son with his wife, Hsiao Chen.
FBI Special Agent Kevin Holt explained in the complaint that the People’s Republic of China might use information about relatives of high-ranking Taiwanese officials as leverage in potential conflicts. Taiwan has been a tension point for years, asserting independence from China, which claims the island is part of its territory.
Zhang and an individual identified only as ‘Individual 1′ traveled from Las Vegas to Seattle in September 2025. They rented a black Nissan Rogue and drove to the Lais’ residence. A neighbor’s security camera allegedly captured them filming Ting-Yu, his wife, and their child. The images were matched to Ting-Yu’s address.
The criminal complaint states Zhang sent messages to a suspected Chinese government handler, indicating she was recording and noting vehicle license plates. These messages, sent via WeChat and retrieved from Zhang’s iCloud account, showed she was communicating with the Chinese government operatives.
Zhang reportedly met a Chinese official in June 2025, arranged through a classmate from Beijing’s University of International Relations. This institution is linked closely to China’s Ministry of State Security, according to Holt. Zhang allegedly accepted a surveillance mission during this meeting in Changsha, China.
She later communicated with this official about her travels to Seattle, expressing the ability to fulfill the task requested. Zhang is a licensed realtor in California, associated with JC Pacific Capital Inc. Her online profiles show extensive activity in the Los Angeles area.
Additional news reports provide insight into Ting-Yu’s background. His academic journey began at Case Western Reserve University in Ohio, followed by advanced degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the University of Washington. His marriage in 2018 in the U.S. and subsequent family life has been documented by Taiwanese media.
Other instances of Chinese government operations in the U.S. have been uncovered before. These include attempting to influence or monitor Chinese dissidents and pro-democracy figures. One significant case involved Shujun Wang, who was sentenced in 2024 for informing on dissident groups while working for China’s Ministry of State Security. Also, informal Chinese police operations exist in New York to oversee dissidents.
Previously, individuals linked to these operations faced charges, including a case involving Eileen Wang, a former Arcadia mayor, who promoted pro-China propaganda in the U.S.
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