US arrests California woman accused of spying on Taiwan president’s family for China

The FBI has arrested a 34-year-old California woman accused of conducting surveillance in the United States on the family of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te on behalf of Chinese officials. Wanying Zhang was detained at Los Angeles International Airport while attempting to leave for China, according to US officials. First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said Zhang faces an allegation of acting as an unregistered agent of China.

He said she travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of officials from the People’s Republic of China and sent them photographs, videos and vehicle licence-plate information. Essayli also said she coordinated the trip with an associate and used methods intended to avoid detection. The FBI said the alleged target was Lai’s son and his family, including their home and vehicles.

DW reported that the agency did not initially name the relative, but later shared a report identifying him as Lai Ting-yu, who is said to be a US resident. Punch Nigeria, citing US and Taiwanese officials, likewise described the alleged surveillance as targeting the president’s son and his family. FBI Director Kash Patel welcomed the arrest in a post on X.

He warned foreign adversaries that the United States was “no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations” and said Zhang had allegedly surveilled a foreign leader’s family on US soil before attempting to fly to Shanghai. Zhang, who resides in Irvine, California, is due to make an initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles on Monday, according to the reports. The supplied accounts do not include a response from Zhang or a lawyer representing her, and the allegations have not been adjudicated.

Taiwan’s presidential office confirmed that the president’s family had been targeted and condemned what spokeswoman Karen Kuo called “transnational repression”. The office thanked US judicial authorities for what it described as assistance and protection for Taiwanese citizens. The case comes amid heightened tensions between Beijing and Taipei.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring the island under its control. Lai, who was elected in January 2024, has defended Taiwan’s sovereignty and leads the Democratic Progressive Party, which advocates the island’s distinct identity from China. The reports also place the arrest within the broader relationship between Washington, Beijing and Taipei.

The United States does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but DW described Washington as the island’s most important international supporter and weapons supplier. Taiwanese authorities have warned citizens of growing risks to their safety in China and elsewhere after Beijing’s Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress took effect in July. Overseas campaigners say the law could provide further grounds for targeting opponents abroad, including through a clause that they argue creates liability for conduct outside China.

The supplied reports do not link Zhang’s case directly to that law.