A Chinese foreign agent was arrested at LAX attempting to depart for China. October 4, 2026

[william]

Wanying Zhang, aka “Heather,” 34, of Irvine, was arrested today by @FBILosAngeles on a federal complaint charging her with acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.According to the affidavit, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and, at the direction of PRC officials, surveilled a close relative of a Taiwanese government official, sending photos, videos, and license plate information to those officials.She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection. She never notified the Attorney General she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense.She will appear in federal court in Los Angeles tomorrow for her initial appearance.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2106881078317502927

• First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced the FBI's arrest of Wanying "Heather" Zhang, 34, of Irvine, CA at LAX on October 4, 2026, as she attempted to board a flight to Shanghai, charging her under 18 U.S.C. § 951 with acting as an unregistered agent of China.
• Zhang, a naturalized U.S. citizen and licensed realtor, allegedly traveled to Seattle in September 2025 with an associate at PRC officials' direction to surveil the home of Ting-Yu Lai, son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, capturing photos, videos, and license plates before relaying them via WeChat.
• The case underscores U.S. counterintelligence operations against PRC-linked surveillance of Taiwanese figures, with evidence from her iCloud account and communications; Zhang faces initial federal court appearance in Los Angeles on October 5, 2026, presumed innocent until proven guilty. Grok