A 34-year-old woman accused of spying for China on the family of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was arrested in the United States on Sunday (Oct 4), according to US and Taiwanese officials. The FBI detained Wanying Zhang at Los Angeles airport as she attempted to leave for China, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in a post on X. Zhang, who lives in Irvine, California, is accused of working as an unregistered agent of China and surveilling a "close relative of a Taiwanese government official" in the United States.&nbsp;The FBI said on its rapid response account on X that Zhang allegedly monitored Lai's son and his family, filming their home and vehicles and passing information to handlers from the People's Republic of China. Essayli said Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and sent them photos, videos and license plate information. He added that she coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">We just arrested a Chinese foreign agent at LAX attempting to depart for China.

Wanying Zhang, aka “Heather,” 34, of Irvine, was arrested today by @FBILosAngeles on a federal complaint charging her with acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.

According to the affidavit, Zhang traveled to Seattle in 2025 and, at the direction of PRC officials, surveilled a close relative of a Taiwanese government official, sending photos, videos, and license plate information to those officials.

She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection. She never notified the Attorney General she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense.

She will appear in federal court in Los Angeles tomorrow for her initial appearance. Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.&mdash; F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) <a href="https://x.com/USAttyEssayli/status/2106881078317502927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;&nbsp;FBI Director Kash Patel welcomed the arrest, he said America is no longer a safe place for foreign adversaries to run espionage operations. Patel also questioned how anyone could allegedly surveil a foreign leader's family on US soil for the PRC and then try to catch a flight back to Shanghai.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/gravitas/dating-app-romance-nato-base-security-scare-russian-spy-1789493114791">Spanish officer sent home from NATO base over affair with 'Russian spy' | Gravitas</a>&nbsp;Lai's office condemned what it called "barbaric acts" and confirmed that the president's family had been targeted. It described the case as one of "transnational repression." Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said such behaviour should not be tolerated in the civilised world and thanked US judicial authorities for assisting and protecting Taiwanese citizens.&nbsp;China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to annex the island. Lai, elected president in January 2024, has been an outspoken defender of Taiwan's sovereignty and is detested by Chinese leaders.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/nobody-knows-if-it-can-be-in-control-godfather-of-ai-china-spy-chief-back-ai-slowdown-calls-flags-political-threat-1789356804637">'Nobody knows if it can be in control': ‘Godfather’ of AI, China spy chief back AI slowdown calls, flags political threat</a>&nbsp;Taiwan's government has warned its citizens of growing risks to their safety in China and elsewhere since 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. Overseas campaigners argue it will further erode the rights of minorities such as Uyghurs and Tibetans, whom Beijing is accused of persecuting. They also point to a clause under which 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.&nbsp;Zhang is expected to make her initial appearance in federal court on Monday (Oct 5).

US authorities have arrested a woman accused of spying on the family of Taiwan's president on behalf of the Chinese government, escalating national security and foreign espionage concerns.

A 34-year-old woman accused of spying for China on the family of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te was arrested in the United States on Sunday (Oct 4), according to US and Taiwanese officials. The FBI detained Wanying Zhang at Los Angeles airport as she attempted to leave for China, First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in a post on X. Zhang, who lives in Irvine, California, is accused of working as an unregistered agent of China and surveilling a "close relative of a Taiwanese government official" in the United States. The FBI said on its rapid response account on X that Zhang allegedly monitored Lai's son and his family, filming their home and vehicles and passing information to handlers from the People's Republic of China. Essayli said Zhang travelled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and sent them photos, videos and license plate information. He added that she coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection.

US authorities have arrested a woman accused of spying on the family of Taiwan's president on behalf of the Chinese government, escalating national security and foreign espionage concerns.

US detains woman allegedly spying on Taiwanese president's family for China

French authorities have arrested three people on suspicion of spying for Russia and acting to promote its war propaganda, as part of a probe into a French-Russian association, prosecutors said Tuesday. The arrests come as fears of Russian interference across Europe are at a high, with Western capitals pointing the finger at Moscow's spy services while the Kremlin's military campaign in Ukraine drags on.&nbsp;One of those detained, a 40-year-old Russian man, was seen on video surveillance footage in September putting up pro-Russian posters on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the city's prosecutors' office said. The man then reported by telephone to the head of the association, SOS Donbass, a woman also aged 40, who was suspected by French counter-espionage officials of trying to get economic information from French company executives.&nbsp;The woman, who was born in Russia, had been on the radar of France's domestic intelligence service, the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), since at least the beginning of the year. After the DGSI detected "actions likely to harm the fundamental interests of the nation" relating to her, an investigating magistrate was appointed in March to probe various suspected offences including "collusion with a foreign power", which is punishable by 10 years in jail.&nbsp;SOS Donbass presents itself as a humanitarian organisation offering aid to civilians in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, which is partially under Moscow's control. The third person in custody is a 63-year-old man born in the northern Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis. A fourth suspect, 58, was spared pre-trial detention but placed under strict supervision and forced to report to the police station once a week.&nbsp;&nbsp;Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

One of those detained, a 40-year-old Russian man, was seen on video surveillance footage in September putting up pro-Russian posters on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the city's prosecutors' office said. 

French authorities have arrested three people on suspicion of spying for Russia and acting to promote its war propaganda, as part of a probe into a French-Russian association, prosecutors said Tuesday. The arrests come as fears of Russian interference across Europe are at a high, with Western capitals pointing the finger at Moscow's spy services while the Kremlin's military campaign in Ukraine drags on. One of those detained, a 40-year-old Russian man, was seen on video surveillance footage in September putting up pro-Russian posters on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the city's prosecutors' office said. The man then reported by telephone to the head of the association, SOS Donbass, a woman also aged 40, who was suspected by French counter-espionage officials of trying to get economic information from French company executives. The woman, who was born in Russia, had been on the radar of France's domestic intelligence service, the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), since at least the beginning of the year. After the DGSI detected "actions likely to harm the fundamental interests of the nation" relating to her, an investigating magistrate was appointed in March to probe various suspected offences including "collusion with a foreign power", which is punishable by 10 years in jail. SOS Donbass presents itself as a humanitarian organisation offering aid to civilians in the eastern Donbas region of Ukraine, which is partially under Moscow's control. The third person in custody is a 63-year-old man born in the northern Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis. A fourth suspect, 58, was spared pre-trial detention but placed under strict supervision and forced to report to the police station once a week. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits for grammar and punctuation. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

One of those detained, a 40-year-old Russian man, was seen on video surveillance footage in September putting up pro-Russian posters on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, the city's prosecutors' office said.&nbsp;

Three arrested in Paris suspected of spying and acting for Russia

A 49-year-old Chinese national has been arrested on the India-Nepal border after allegedly entering the country without valid documents and recording video of a restricted security zone. The arrest took place Monday (Nov 24) at the Rupaidiha check post in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, according to officials from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). The arrested man, as per reports, travelled to Pakistan and had Pakistani, Chinese, and Nepalese currencies on him.<h2>What we know about the arrested Chinese man</h2>The man, identified as Liu Qunjing from China’s Hunan province, was detained by personnel from the SSB’s 42nd Battalion. Commandant Ganga Singh Udavat said the officer on duty noticed him filming near a sensitive stretch of the border shortly after he crossed into India from Nepal. When questioned, he was unable to produce any valid entry papers.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/bengaluru-s-own-louvre-heist-fake-rbi-crew-steals-7-11-crore-in-broad-daylight-here-s-how-the-unprecedented-robbery-happened-1763615230662">India’s own Louvre heist? How a fake RBI crew stole ₹7.11 crore in 30 mins, that too in broad daylight</a><h2>Case registered under the Foreigners Act</h2>According to PTI, security teams recovered three mobile phones from him. One of the devices contained videos of several protected areas within Indian territory. He was also carrying a map of Nepal printed in English. Officials said Qunjing communicated only through gestures and claimed he did not understand English or Hindi. Interrogation was carried out with the help of an interpreter. During questioning, investigators learned he had previously travelled to Pakistan, where he held a visa. The Pakistan visit, along with his illegal entry into India and videography, raised suspicions among agencies, Udavat said.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/blow-to-trump-s-revenge-prosecutions-as-cases-against-james-comey-and-letitia-james-collapse-1764031292002">Blow to Trump’s revenge prosecutions as cases against James Comey and Letitia James collapse</a>After his detention, Qunjing was handed over to local police. A case has been registered under the Foreigners Act at the Rupaidiha police station, and he has been formally arrested. Initial findings suggest the Chinese national flew from China to Nepal on November 15th on a tourist visa. He travelled to Nepalgunj on November 22nd and crossed into India illegally two days later, on November 24th. Investigations are continuing. &nbsp;

A 49-year-old Chinese man was arrested at the India-Nepal border after allegedly sneaking into Uttar Pradesh and filming a restricted security zone. A case is filed under the Foreigners Act.

A 49-year-old Chinese national has been arrested on the India-Nepal border after allegedly entering the country without valid documents and recording video of a restricted security zone. The arrest took place Monday (Nov 24) at the Rupaidiha check post in Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, according to officials from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). The arrested man, as per reports, travelled to Pakistan and had Pakistani, Chinese, and Nepalese currencies on him. What we know about the arrested Chinese man The man, identified as Liu Qunjing from China’s Hunan province, was detained by personnel from the SSB’s 42nd Battalion. Commandant Ganga Singh Udavat said the officer on duty noticed him filming near a sensitive stretch of the border shortly after he crossed into India from Nepal. When questioned, he was unable to produce any valid entry papers. Also read | India’s own Louvre heist? How a fake RBI crew stole ₹7.11 crore in 30 mins, that too in broad daylight Case registered under the Foreigners Act According to PTI, security teams recovered three mobile phones from him. One of the devices contained videos of several protected areas within Indian territory. He was also carrying a map of Nepal printed in English. Officials said Qunjing communicated only through gestures and claimed he did not understand English or Hindi. Interrogation was carried out with the help of an interpreter. During questioning, investigators learned he had previously travelled to Pakistan, where he held a visa. The Pakistan visit, along with his illegal entry into India and videography, raised suspicions among agencies, Udavat said. Also read | Blow to Trump’s revenge prosecutions as cases against James Comey and Letitia James collapse After his detention, Qunjing was handed over to local police. A case has been registered under the Foreigners Act at the Rupaidiha police station, and he has been formally arrested. Initial findings suggest the Chinese national flew from China to Nepal on November 15th on a tourist visa. He travelled to Nepalgunj on November 22nd and crossed into India illegally two days later, on November 24th. Investigations are continuing.

A 49-year-old Chinese man was arrested at the India-Nepal border after allegedly sneaking into Uttar Pradesh and filming a restricted security zone. A case is filed under the Foreigners Act.

Chinese man with Pakistan travel history caught filming sensitive sites after sneaking into India from Nepal

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US detains woman allegedly spying on Taiwanese president's family for China

Three arrested in Paris suspected of spying and acting for Russia

Chinese man caught filming sensitive sites after sneaking into India from Nepal