Circuit Wire — a daily news update from the Circuit.
FBI agents arrested Wanying “Heather” Zhang, a 34-year-old Irvine, California realtor, at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday, October 4. CBS News reported she was stopped before boarding a flight to Shanghai. She is charged with acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.
The affidavit names Ting-Yu Lai as the person she allegedly watched. He is the son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te and works as an engineer for Philips in the Seattle area, according to CBS.
Investigators say the assignment began in June 2025. Zhang allegedly met a Chinese government official in Changsha and accepted the task there. She is a licensed realtor with JC Pacific Capital and attended the University of International Relations in Beijing, CBS reported.
On September 1, 2025, the affidavit says, Zhang and an associate filmed the Lai family as they arrived home in a Seattle suburb. A security camera captured both people “appearing to film,” CBS reported. The same account says license plate numbers were texted to her alleged handler over WeChat.
Fox News reported that Zhang told her associate to send the Seattle photos by AirDrop rather than by WeChat or text. The associate later deleted the images, according to the same report. Fox also reported that Zhang messaged her handler that she had spotted the target and was recording video. The affidavit says the location and pictures of close relatives “could be useful to the PRC” in a potential conflict.
FBI Director Kash Patel said foreign adversaries should not expect to run espionage operations safely on American soil. Fox noted a separate case in which former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang was charged with acting as an unregistered Chinese agent, accused of spreading propaganda.
Zhang is due in federal court in Los Angeles on October 7, according to Fox. The affidavit refers to the associate only as “Individual 1,” according to CBS.
Want a weekly roundup of the major stories shaping the security industry? The On The Circuit newsletter is read by more than 12,000 protection professionals.
Spotted something we should cover? Send tips and feedback via circuit-magazine.com.