US arrests woman accused of acting as unregistered Chinese agent

US authorities arrested a California woman Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport as she was attempting to leave for China.

Wanying Zhang, also known as "Heather," 34, of Irvine, was apprehended by the FBI's Los Angeles field office on a federal complaint charging her with acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China, First Assistant US Attorney Bill Essayli said on the US social media platform X.

According to an affidavit, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and at the direction of Chinese officials surveilled a close relative of a Taiwanese government official, Essayli said.

She allegedly sent photos, videos and license plate information to Chinese officials and coordinated the trip with an associate while using methods to avoid detection.

Zhang allegedly failed to notify the US attorney general that she was acting on behalf of a foreign government, Essayli said.

She is expected to make her initial appearance at a federal court in Los Angeles on Monday.