Wanying Zhang, 34, was detained by the FBI at Los Angeles airport “attempting to depart for China”, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in an X post.
Zhang is accused of acting as an unregistered agent of China and spying on a “close relative of a Taiwanese government official” in the United States, Essayli said.
The woman allegedly surveilled Lai’s “son and his family — filming their home, vehicles, and reporting information back to (People’s Republic of China) handlers”, the FBI said on its rapid response account on X.
China claims Taiwan is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex the island.
Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and, acting at the direction of Chinese officials, sent “photos, videos, and license plate information to those officials”, Essayli said.
FBI Director Kash Patel cheered the arrest in an X post, warning foreign adversaries that “America is no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations.”
“Allegedly surveil a foreign leader’s family on US soil for the PRC — and try to catch a flight back to Shanghai? Not happening,” Patel said.
Lai, who was elected president in January 2024, has been an outspoken defender of Taiwan’s sovereignty and is detested by Chinese leaders.
Lai’s office condemned the “barbaric acts”, which it confirmed had targeted the president’s family, and said it was a case of “transnational repression.”
“Such behavior should not be tolerated in the civilized world,” Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement, thanking US judicial authorities for “their assistance and protection of our citizens.”
Taiwan’s government has warned Taiwanese people of growing risks to their safety in China and elsewhere after Beijing’s ethnic unity law took effect in July.
The Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress aims to forge a “shared” national identity among ethnic groups.
But overseas campaigners have argued it will further degrade the rights of ethnic minorities, like Uyghurs and Tibetans, that Beijing is accused of persecuting.
They also point to a clause stating that people can be held liable for violating the law even when outside China, saying it gives the Chinese government more justification for targeting its opponents abroad.
Zhang, who resides in Irvine, California, “coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection,” Essayli said.
Zhang is expected to make her initial appearance in federal court on Monday.
