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According to an exclusive CBS News investigation, 34-year-old California Chinese-American real estate agent Wanying Zhang (Wanying Zhang) was arrested by the FBI on suspicion of conducting espionage for China. The investigation found that Zhang had previously been suspected of surveilling Lai Ching-te's son in Seattle, and that she had indirect ties to Cambodia's Prince Group and a transnational money laundering network. The case is still under further investigation.

A former chief investigative reporter for Britain's Daily Mail disclosed that the person who traveled to Seattle with Zhang Wanying is California construction businessman Miao Fatai, whose son said he returned to China because his mother is ill.

On October 8, CBS reported that the anonymous companion believed to have been surveilling Lai Ching-te's son in Seattle alongside Zhang Wanying is reportedly California builder Fatai Miao, and prosecutors say he flew to China on a one-way ticket about two weeks ago.

The US FBI arrested Zhang Wanying, a Chinese-American woman living in California, at Los Angeles International Airport, accusing her of being instructed by Chinese government officials to travel to Seattle to surveil Taiwan President Lai Ching-te's son, Lai Ting-yu.

On October 4, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested California real estate agent Zhang Wanying at Los Angeles International Airport, accusing her of failing to register as an agent of the Chinese government. The indictment says she received an assignment in Changsha in June 2025 from officials linked to the Ministry of State Security, and in September of the same year traveled with an accomplice to Seattle to photograph and surveil the residence of Lai Ting-yu, the son of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, passing the video and license plate information to the Chinese side.

Recently, the United States has successively arrested multiple Chinese Communist Party spies and agents, including a real estate agent involved in monitoring the family members of Taiwanese political figures and a Navy service member suspected of leaking military secrets.

According to CBS, on October 4, the day Zhang Wanying was arrested, about 10 FBI agents with a search warrant broke down the door and entered Fatai Miao's residence in Irvine, California. The family denied that the trip to Seattle had political purposes, saying Miao went to China to care for his sick wife.

A Chinese netizen at Pudong Airport was asked to fill out an exit-entry registration form containing personal information, outbound itinerary, family members, overseas contacts, online activities, assets and finances, and several people had their phones confiscated for inspection.

Senegal is temporarily leading Belgium 1-0 in the second half of their World Cup knockout match in Seattle.

According to bank records, the FBI found that a credit card under Zhang Wanying's name had a $265.25 charge at the Marriott Hotel at Seattle Airport, related to lodging there together with Miao Fatai.

Zhang Wanying went to Seattle on instructions from Chinese government officials, waiting outside the home of Lai Ching-te's son Lai Ting-yu to film him.

A U.S. federal court indictment states that Zhang Wanying and an accomplice flew from Las Vegas to Seattle, rented a car to go to Lai Ting-yu's residence to record video, and reported to a contact on the Chinese Communist Party side.

U.S. federal prosecutors' charging documents state that Zhang Wanying traveled to Seattle in 2025, photographed the residence, vehicles and license plates of Lai Ching-te's family, and reported to the Chinese side via WeChat.

Zhang Wanying and a male companion flew from John Wayne Airport in California to Las Vegas, and then flew to Seattle on September 1 to carry out a stakeout task.

On April 30, 2024, a federal judge in Seattle, United States, sentenced Changpeng Zhao to four months in prison, after he had already pleaded guilty and stepped down as CEO of Binance.

On November 21, 2023, Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to money laundering charges at a Seattle federal court, agreeing to pay a $50 million fine and resign as CEO of Binance, while Binance agreed to pay $4.3 billion.