Who is Wanying Zhang? FBI arrests California woman for spying for China, surveilling Taiwan President’s son

A California woman was arrested on Sunday (October 4, 2026) for allegedly spying on a son of Taiwan's president at the behest of Chinese officials. The woman, identified as Wanying Zhang, was arrested by the FBI at Los Angeles International Airport.

Also known as “Heather,” Zhang was taken into custody by the law enforcement agency as she was preparing to board a flight to Shanghai, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in an X post. Authorities charged the 34-year-old Irvine resident with acting as an unregistered foreign agent.

Here’s what we know about Wanying Zhang

Zhang surveilled a son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, multiple outlets reported, including Reuters, citing federal documents and law enforcement officials. While law enforcement did not initially name her target directly, stating only she targeted a “close relative” of a Taiwanese official, a NY Post report identified him as Lai Ting-yu, a US resident.

Citing the complaint affidavit, Essayli stated in his X post that 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.”




Essayli added that Zhang used tradecraft to avoid detection and never notified the Attorney General that she was acting for a foreign government.

The Chinese embassy in Washington and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States had not responded at the time of filing of this report. There was also no clarity on whether Zhang has a defense attorney. She will appear on Monday in a Los Angeles federal court, Essayli said.

Zhang worked for a real estate firm

Zhang worked for a real estate firm along with her husband Edric Ding, The New York Post reported. According to the news outlet, the 34-year-old lives in Irvine, Orange County. She is accused of working with handlers from the People’s Republic of China to surveil the son of Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-Te.

Citing the criminal complaint released by the FBI, The Post reported that she exchanged texts with other alleged agents about tracking Ting-Yu Lai in Seattle, Washington, where he works for electronics giant Philips.


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In the surveillance camera photographs, Zhang was allegedly seen sitting in a car with an accomplice, taking pictures of his house and close relatives. The text messages mentioned in the federal complaint form a crucial part of the government’s case against Zhang.