Alleged Chinese agent makes federal court appearance

A suspected Chinese agent appeared successful a Los Angeles national tribunal Monday aft she allegedly surveilled the Taiwanese president's lad adjacent Seattle past year.

Orange County, California, realtor Wanying "Heather" Zhang, 34, appeared calm, dressed successful a tailored, achromatic zip-up jacket, sweatpants and achromatic sneakers, with shackles connected her wrists and ankles. CBS News was archetypal to report that the FBI arrested Zhang connected Sunday astatine Los Angeles International Airport earlier she boarded a formation to Shanghai, China.

In court, she spoke lone to corroborate her sanction and that she understood the complaint against her of moving arsenic an unregistered cause of the Chinese government.

Despite selling her Irvine location for $6 cardinal successful June, Zhang was represented by a nationalist defender astatine the hearing.

Judge Steve Kim rescheduled her detention proceeding to Wednesday to springiness Zhang much clip to prosecute a backstage transgression defence attorney.

Zhang was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals until her Wednesday hearing. 

The nationalist defender, Chad Pennington, told the justice helium believed Zhang intended to prosecute backstage counsel.

Her husband, Edric Ding, watched the proceedings, flanked by his sister, lawyer Elaine Lori.

Standing astatine the podium, Zhang looked backmost astatine her hubby briefly, but showed nary emotion.

Lori and Ding declined to remark wrong the courthouse and remained soundless arsenic they were questioned by reporters arsenic they walked to their car aft the hearing. When reached by telephone connected Sunday, Ding told CBS News, "I don't cognize thing yet," and declined to remark further.

Three prosecutors represented the Justice Department: Scott Lara of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Elbogen and Colin Scott. They said they were not authorized to comment.

U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli posted a video connected X of Zhang being frogmarched done the airdrome by national instrumentality enforcement, wearing the aforesaid outfit she wore successful tribunal connected Monday.

A transgression complaint, filed successful national tribunal by a subordinate of the FBI's counterintelligence squad successful L.A., accused Zhang and an accomplice of traveling to Seattle successful September 2025 and taking pictures astatine the suburban location of a apical Taiwanese official's family. 

Law enforcement sources told CBS News that the people was Ting-Yu Lai, the lad of Taiwanese President Ching-Te Lai.

Ting-Yu, an technologist successful his 30s, attended assemblage successful America and has a young U.S.-born lad with his wife, Hsiao Chen, according to Taiwanese media reports. He present works for the Dutch multinational electronics steadfast Philips.

The FBI agent's affidavit claimed the authorities obtained substance messages betwixt Zhang and Chinese authorities officials evidencing the alleged surveillance.

In 1 speech connected the time of Zhang's alleged Seattle trip, she allegedly texted her expected Chinese authorities handler, "Saw him. Young male. It's that young one," and "I americium videorecording," portion footage from Ting-Yu's neighbor's information camera showed her "appearing to film" the president's son, his woman and their kid arsenic they arrived location that evening, according to the affidavit. 

As good arsenic arresting Zhang connected Sunday, FBI agents besides searched her location successful an upscale suburb of Irvine, California.

A nonmigratory of The Groves vicinity said she saw astir 10 FBI agents searching Zhang's location connected Sunday morning. 

"Several of them were sitting astatine a array wrong the garage," said the neighbor, who asked to stay anonymous. "Even the ones lasting defender were wearing gloves. They told america determination was a hunt going on."

In:

• Los Angeles
• Spying
• China