California Realtor Arrested at LAX for Allegedly Spying for China

Federal authorities have arrested Wanying Zhang, a 34-year-old California realtor, at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) as she attempted to depart for China. Zhang, also known as “Heather,” faces charges for acting as an unregistered agent of the People's Republic of China.

The arrest was announced by Bill Essayli, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, who stated that Zhang was detained based on a federal complaint. According to the affidavit, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 with the objective of surveilling a close relative of a Taiwanese government official, at the direction of officials from the People's Republic of China. She allegedly sent photos, videos, and license plate information of the target to her handlers.

Essayli further detailed that Zhang coordinated her trip with an associate and employed tradecraft to evade detection. Her failure to notify the Attorney General of her activities on behalf of a foreign government constitutes a federal offense. Zhang is expected to make her initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles.