California Woman Accused of Spying on Taiwan Leader's Son for China

US officials have taken a 34-year-old California woman into custody on suspicion that she spied on a son of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te for Chinese officials. Wanying Zhang, who also uses the name Heather, was detained on Sunday, October 4, at Los Angeles International Airport just before a planned trip to China, according to the FBI. The agency said she faces a charge of serving as an unregistered foreign agent. The FBI accused Zhang of monitoring one of President Lai's sons. The New York Post later identified the son as Lai Ting-yu, a resident of the United States. The US Department of Justice said Zhang went to Seattle in 2025 at the instruction of Chinese officials. There, she allegedly collected photographs, videos, and vehicle license plate details concerning the Taiwanese president's son and his family and sent the material to those officials. US authorities further alleged that Zhang tried to avoid being detected while conducting the surveillance and did not inform the US government that she was working for a foreign government. Bill Essayli, first assistant US attorney for the Central District of California, said the alleged conduct reflected intentional attempts to hide her activities. Zhang is set to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, October 5. Taiwan's Presidential Office responded to the arrest by calling the alleged activity a case of "transnational repression" and expressed thanks to the US government for safeguarding Taiwanese citizens. "Our country expresses the strongest condemnation of such barbaric conduct that disregards human rights and the sovereignty of nations," spokesperson Karen Kuo said in a statement.