Feds say O.C. woman secretly worked for China, surveilled son of Taiwan's president

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Set us as preferred An Orange County real estate agent who was detained Sunday at LAX now faces federal charges, with authorities alleging she spied on the president of Taiwan’s son for the People’s Republic of China.Prosecutors say Wanying “Heather” Zhang, 34, a real estate agent based in Irvine, followed the Taiwanese president’s son, traveling to Seattle last year and relaying information about his movements to Chinese government officials.Zhang was taken into custody Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport, where she was allegedly planning to board a flight to China, First Assistant U.S.

Atty.Bill Essayli said in a social media post.

“The central allegation here — that Zhang, at the behest of the People’s Republic of China, covertly surveilled relatives of a high-ranking foreign government official in the United States — is deeply troubling,” said Assistant Atty.Gen.

for National Security John A.Eisenberg.

“The National Security Division and U.S.Attorney’s Offices, along with the FBI and other law enforcement partners, will remain vigilant against threats like this on our soil.”Zhang is charged in a criminal complaint with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.

She was expected to appear in federal court Monday.Her deputy public defender did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In an affidavit filed with the complaint, Kevin Holt, a special agent with the FBI, alleged that Zhang and another person, at the direction of Chinese officials, traveled to Seattle last year and photographed and gathered information about a close relative of a Taiwanese government official.The FBI said in a social media post that Zhang had surveilled the Taiwanese president’s son, Lai Ting-yu, and his family last year in September.She allegedly filmed their home and vehicles and ...