The FBI arrested Wanying Zhang, also known as Heather, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday before she was scheduled to depart for China. Zhang, 34, of Irvine, California, was charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent.
According to a statement released by the FBI, the arrest came after authorities received intelligence that Zhang had been working for Chinese officials to spy on the son of Taiwan’s president. The agency said it had evidence that she had been gathering information on the Taiwanese official’s family member.
The case highlights ongoing concerns about espionage activities linked to China. While the FBI has not released further details about the scope of the alleged spying, it confirmed that Zhang was detained before she could leave the United States.
Zhang now faces federal charges that could carry significant penalties if she is convicted. She is expected to be arraigned in federal court in the coming weeks, where the prosecution will present the evidence collected by the FBI.
Authorities have not yet disclosed whether any documents or electronic devices were seized during the arrest. The investigation remains active as the FBI continues to assess the extent of Zhang’s alleged activities on behalf of Chinese officials.
<small>Source: The Guardian — read the original story there.</small>
