U.S. vows to protect individuals after alleged surveillance of Lai's son

Washington, Oct. 5 (CNA) The United States on Monday vowed to protect individuals on its soil from "the overreach of foreign governments" after a woman was arrested Sunday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for allegedly surveilling President Lai Ching-te's (賴清德) son on behalf of China.

"We are committed to safeguarding our sovereignty, keeping our communities safe, and defending individuals from the overreach of foreign governments and regimes trying to silence, intimidate, harass, harm or coerce individuals within our borders," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in response to CNA's request for comment.

According to Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, 34-year-old Wanying Zhang, a California real estate agent, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport before she departed for China.

The arrest of Zhang, a Chinese-born naturalized U.S. citizen, drew comment from U.S. lawmakers on the alleged security threats posed by Beijing.

Writing on X, Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn accused China of "trying to export its repressive surveillance to America," while Republican Senator Pete Ricketts said the U.S. "must remain vigilant" to the threat posed by "spies and deception on American soil."

Essayli said in a post on X that Zhang was accused of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government and spying on a close relative of a high-ranking Taiwanese government official.

Echoing Essayli, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement on X that the Chinese government had allegedly sent an operative to the U.S. to surveil the "family of Taiwan's president."

CBS News, citing an FBI complaint, reported Sunday that Zhang and a man identified only as "Individual 1" flew from Las Vegas to Seattle on Sept. 1, 2025, rented a black Nissan Rogue and drove to the target's home, referring to Lai's son, Lai Ting-yu (賴廷與).

The report said images from a neighbor's security camera included in the complaint appeared to show the two filming Lai Ting-yu, his wife and their child as they arrived home that evening. It added that Zhang allegedly messaged a Chinese government handler via WeChat through a search warrant for her iCloud account.

According to the Associated Press, Zhang appeared in court on Monday for an initial hearing but has yet to be formally indicted.

Lai Ting-yu, an engineer in his 30s who studied at a U.S. college, now works for Dutch electronics company Philips, Taiwanese media has reported.

In Taipei, the Presidential Office on Monday condemned the alleged surveillance of Lai's son, describing it as a "typical case of transnational repression."