A 34-year-old woman was arrested in California on Sunday by the FBI on suspicion of acting as an unregistered agent of China and surveilling the son of Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te, along with his family.
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U.S. federal authorities said that Wanying “Heather” Zhang, who lives in Irvine, allegedly gathered information about a relative of a senior Taiwanese government official after a trip to Seattle in 2025.
According to the federal complaint, signed on Saturday, Zhang had been instructed by Chinese officials to obtain information and photograph the relative, whose identity has not been made public.
The FBI said in a social media post that the suspect had followed and surveilled the Taiwanese president’s son and his family members.
According to FBI Special Agent Kevin Holt, Zhang and a person referred to in the documents as “Individual 1” traveled from Las Vegas to Seattle on September 1, 2025. There, they went to the vicinity of the official’s relative’s residence.
Security camera footage recorded by a neighbor shows the two people remaining outside the residence in a rented black vehicle.
When the relative and his family arrived home, Zhang and her accomplice allegedly immediately got into the vehicle. They then took out their phones and pointed them in a manner that, according to the FBI, suggested they were photographing or filming the family.
The federal document emphasizes that information about the locations, residences and vehicles of the relatives of a senior Taiwanese official could have been useful to the Chinese government if Beijing attempted to pressure Taiwan’s president during a potential conflict.
U.S. Federal Prosecutor Bill Essayli said Zhang had coordinated the trip with an accomplice and had used methods to avoid detection.
According to him, the 34-year-old had not notified the U.S. attorney general that she was acting on behalf of a foreign government. Such conduct constitutes a criminal offense under U.S. federal law.
Zhang is expected to appear Monday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for her first hearing.
It is not known whether she has secured an attorney. CNN has requested comment from the FBI, the U.S. Department of Justice and the Chinese Embassy.
Taiwan’s Presidential Office spokesperson Karen Kuo condemned Zhang’s alleged actions and described them as a case of “classic transnational repression.”
Taiwan has for decades remained at the center of tensions between Beijing and Western countries. The Chinese Communist Party considers the island part of China’s territory, although Beijing has never controlled Taiwan. The Chinese government has repeatedly said that it seeks “reunification” with the island and has not ruled out the use of force.
Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te is one of the figures who has drawn strong reactions from Beijing because of his positions in favor of Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Through its “One China” policy, the United States recognizes Beijing’s position that Taiwan is part of China, but it has not officially recognized the Chinese Communist Party’s claim over the self-governing island.
The investigation into Zhang is ongoing, and U.S. authorities are expected to release more information as the court proceedings develop.
