Irvine real estate agent held at LAX, accused of spying on Taiwan leader's son for China

FBI agents arrested Irvine real estate agent Wanying "Heather" Zhang, 34, at Los Angeles International Airport on Oct. 4 as she prepared to board a flight to China, federal officials said.

Zhang was arrested on a federal complaint charging her with acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China. Prosecutors accuse her of surveilling the Seattle-area family of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's son and passing what she gathered to Chinese officials. She has pleaded not guilty and is presumed innocent.

What prosecutors allege

According to an FBI affidavit, Zhang and another person flew to Seattle on Sept. 1, 2025, at the direction of Chinese officials. They allegedly filmed the target and his family from a vehicle outside their home, and a home security camera near the home recorded them, the Associated Press reported.

Investigators say Zhang sent a Chinese government official photos, videos and license plate information for the family's vehicles. The affidavit says that kind of information could help China "obtain leverage" over Taiwan's president "during any potential conflict," according to the AP. Investigators also say she coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection, KIRO 7 reported.

The original Juice Unlocked post also reported that investigators say Zhang sent information to her alleged handlers through WeChat, and that those messages were recovered through a search warrant for her iCloud account.

The complaint does not name the target. The FBI's Los Angeles account on X identified him as the president's son. Lai's elder son, Ting-Yu Lai, lives and works in the Seattle area as an engineer, NBC Los Angeles reported.

Who she is

Zhang has been a licensed California real estate agent since 2016, and a Zillow page shows she sold seven homes around Orange County in the past year, according to the AP. Her attorneys say she came to the U.S. in 2014, became a naturalized citizen in 2020 and lives with her husband and two young daughters, Fox News reported.

Zhang attended the University of International Relations in Beijing, which an FBI agent described as closely affiliated with China's intelligence apparatus, the AP reported. Prosecutors say she stayed in contact with a classmate who became a Chinese government official and who introduced her to another official.

What officials are saying

"We just arrested a Chinese foreign agent at LAX attempting to depart for China," said Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, according to KIRO 7.

FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X, "Foreign adversaries take note: America is no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations," Fox 11 reported. Taiwan's Presidential Office confirmed the president's relatives were the targets and called it "a classic case of transnational repression," the AP reported. China's Foreign Ministry said Beijing has "always opposed hyped-up accusations of 'China spying,'" according to NBC Los Angeles.

In court

Zhang's attorney, Craig Harbaugh, asked that she be released to GPS-monitored home detention, backed by equity in her Irvine home and financial guarantees from her husband, his relatives and a family friend, Fox News reported. Pretrial Services had recommended she stay in custody over concerns she might not appear in court.

Her lawyers disputed the significance of her one-way ticket, saying she often books outbound and return flights separately and was traveling to visit her mother.

Zhang pleaded not guilty Oct. 23 in federal court in downtown Los Angeles to conspiracy and acting as an unregistered agent of China, NBC Los Angeles reported. She faces up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.

What’s next

Zhang's trial is scheduled for Nov. 30 in federal court in Santa Ana, according to NBC Los Angeles.