Irvine Woman Wanying Zhang Indicted on Conspiracy and Unregistered Foreign Agent Charges
LOS ANGELES — A California woman who prosecutors say spied on a son of Taiwan's president has been indicted on charges of conspiracy and being an unregistered foreign agent for China, the Associated Press reported. The indictment was filed on October 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, and its allegations mirror an earlier criminal complaint against Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine. The Justice Department has issued no new press release on the indictment.
Prosecutors say Zhang, who also goes by Heather, spied on the son outside his Seattle-area home at the behest of Chinese officials between about June and September 2025. She was allegedly directed by an unnamed Chinese government official, a former classmate at China's University of International Relations, which an FBI investigator said in earlier court documents is "closely connected to China's intelligence apparatus." According to the indictment, the classmate asked her to send pictures "of the house" where the son lives.
The indictment alleges Zhang flew from California to Las Vegas and then to the Seattle area to conduct surveillance from outside the home, capturing photos, videos and license plate information and sending them to her handler; an accomplice fled to China in September 2025. Zhang was arrested on October 4 at Los Angeles International Airport as she prepared to board a flight to China, and a federal judge subsequently ordered her detained without bail, as GSM previously reported. An indictment is merely an allegation, and Zhang has not been convicted. (GSM, via the Associated Press)
Related:
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：位于洛杉矶市中心的 Edward R. Roybal 联邦大楼与美国法院（资料图），本案起诉书提交至该院所在的加州中区联邦地区法院。照片：CC0，来源：Wikimedia Commons。The Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles (file photo). Photo: CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 2026-10-04FBI Arrests Irvine Realtor at LAX as Unregistered Agent of China
- 2026-10-05Irvine Agent Case: Complaint Details WeChat Exchanges Ahead of First Court Appearance
- 2026-10-06Irvine Woman Arrested at LAX, Accused of Spying for China on Taiwan President's Son
- 2026-10-06Accused Chinese Agent Wanying Zhang Makes First Court Appearance; Hearing Continued to Wednesday
- 2026-10-07Irvine Realtor's Bail Denied in Alleged China Agent Case
- 2026-10-17Rep. Judy Chu Issues Statement on Zhang Wanying Espionage Case, Says She Is 'Deeply Troubled' by the Allegations
- 2026-10-18Irvine Woman Wanying Zhang Indicted on Conspiracy and Unregistered Foreign Agent ChargesThis story
- 2026-10-20Statements on the Zhang Wanying Case: China's Foreign Ministry Says It Is Not Familiar With the Case and Opposes Hyping "Chinese Spies"; U.S. State Department Vows to Protect People in the U.S.
- 2026-10-22Follow-Up: CBS Identifies 'Individual 1' in the Zhang Wanying Case as Irvine Builder Fatai Miao, Whose Home Was Searched by the FBI
- 2026-10-23Follow-Up: Zhang Wanying Pleads Not Guilty in Los Angeles: Trial Set for November 30 in Alleged Unregistered Chinese Agent Case
