Who Is Wanying ‘Heather’ Zhang? California Realtor Accused of Being China Agent - Newsweek

A realtor in Irvine, California, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly working as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government.

Wanying “Heather” Zhang, 34, was detained by FBI agents at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to depart for China, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said on X.

Zhang is accused of having traveled to Seattle in 2025 to surveil a close relative of a Taiwanese government official, sending photos, videos and license plate information to Chinese officials.

"She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection," Essayli said. "She never notified the Attorney General she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense."

The FBI’s Rapid Response account on X confirmed Zhang’s arrest.

In the post, the Bureau alleged that Zhang had surveilled the son of the Taiwanese president and his family, including filming their home and vehicles and then sharing that information back to China.

“You don’t get to conduct foreign intelligence operations on American soil and simply hop on a plane home,” the FBI said in the statement to X.

For decades, Taiwan has been the focus of geopolitical tensions.

The ruling party of China, the Chinese Communist Party, views Taiwan as part of its territory and a core interest. Meanwhile, Taiwan asserts its independence.

Taiwan’s President, Lai Ching-te has served as the country’s 8th President since 2024 and is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party.

The FBI did not directly name Zhang’s alleged target, but on X, shared a report from the New York Post which identified him as Lai Ting-yu.

Lai Ting-yu, a U.S. resident, attended college in America and is an engineer, currently working for the Dutch electronics company Philips.

He has a young son, born in the U.S. with his wife, Hsiao Chen.

This is a developing story; more to follow.