A California realtor accused of spying on a Taiwanese official’s family for Beijing was arrested at LAX as she tried to leave for China, federal authorities announced Sunday.Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine, also known as "Heather," allegedly worked with an associate to photograph and record the family outside their Seattle-area home, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital."We just arrested a Chinese foreign agent at LAX attempting to depart for China," First Assistant U.S.Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on X.CHINESE SPY INFILTRATION: MAYOR’S BUST ADDS TO GROWING TIMELINE OF FOREIGN INFLUENCE CREEPING INTO USWanying "Heather" Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, was arrested at LAX on Oct.
4, 2026, on a charge of acting as an unregistered agent of China.(United States Attorney’s Office - Central District of California)Essayli said FBI Los Angeles agents arrested Zhang on a federal charge of acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.She allegedly traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and sent them photos, videos and license plate information.FEDS SAY US CITIZEN GATHERED INFORMATION ON AMERICAN TARGETS FOR CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY"She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection," Essayli wrote.
"She never notified the Attorney General she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense."Speaking on "The Big Weekend Show" Sunday, Essayli said Zhang is a naturalized U.S.citizen and confirmed the alleged surveillance targeted a relative of Taiwan’s president."She was conducting surveillance on behalf of the Chinese government.
She was acting as a foreign agent," Essayli said."And she was spying on a relative of the president of Taiwan here in the U.S."He said agents arrested her as she tried to board a flight to Shanghai.FBI Director Kash Patel also issued a warning to foreign adversaries following Zhang’s arrest."Foreign adversaries take note: America...