Feds say California woman spied on son of Taiwanese president for China

Heather Zhang, 34, is accused of traveling to the Pacific Northwest to conduct surveillance on the residence of the Taiwanese president's son.LOS ANGELES (CN) — Federal prosecutors say a California woman was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport on charges she was spying on U.S.-based family members of a high-ranking Taiwanese government official.Wanying “Heather” Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, was arrested Sunday as she was about to board a flight to China, the U.S. attorney’s office in LA said. While the Justice Department’s press release didn’t identify the victim, reports indicate it is the son of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te.“Protecting our national security means confronting foreign governments that engage in covert operations in our nation,” First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “Ms. Zhang acted at the direction of Chinese government officials to spy on the family of a senior Taiwanese official here in the United States."The Justice Department charged Zhang with acting in the U.S. as an unregistered agent of the government of the People’s Republic of China.From June 2025 to September 2025, federal prosecutors claim, Zhang acted at the direction and control of Chinese government officials. They say she traveled from Southern California to China, where she met with Chinese government officials and was tasked with conducting the surveillance in the U.S.On Aug. 29, 2025, the government claims Zhang and another individual flew from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to Las Vegas, then a few days later flew to the Pacific Northwest where the victim resides. She messaged a Chinese government official that she was “Boarding now” and sent them a photograph of her boarding pass, according to the government.Zhang and the other individual rented a car upon their arrival and drove to the victim’s residence, where the feds say they conducted surveillance. They claim she sent the same Chinese government official the following message: “Saw him, young male, it’s the young one." When this official asked her to join an audio call, the feds say she replied, “I am videorecording.”She also sent the same official the license plate numbers for the two vehicles parked in front of the victim’s home, according to the government.“The complaint in this case lays bare a brazen plot directed by the Chinese government to conduct a covert surveillance mission on U.S. soil targeting close relatives of a Taiwanese government official,” Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division said in the statement. “Wanying Zhang’s arrest for allegedly acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government makes clear how far China’s authoritarian regime will go to advance its goals.No information was immediately available if Zhang is represented by an attorney.She faces as long as 10 years in federal prison if convicted.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads