Alleged Chinese agent to remain in custody, judge rules, amid FBI concerns of flight risk

Updated on: October 7, 2026 / 8:48 PM EDT / CBS News

An alleged Chinese agent arrested at Los Angeles International Airport over the weekend will remain in federal custody, a federal judge ruled Wednesday during a court hearing. The decision comes amid concern from the FBI that she may try to flee the country if released, law enforcement sources previously told CBS News.

Prosecutors successfully argued that 34-year-old realtor Wanying Zhang posed too great a flight risk. She had offered to post more than $1.2 million in property for her bond.

Prosecutors told Judge Steve Kim at the L.A. hearing that Zhang has a brother with a history of working for the Chinese government, and that her parents and siblings live in China.

The Orange County mother is now facing federal prosecution for allegedly surveilling the Taiwanese president's son in Washington last year at the direction of Chinese government officials.

Investigators have said Zhang owned a business in China, regularly has money deposited in a Chinese bank account and has parents, a brother and sister currently living there, CBS News has learned.

One law enforcement source said Zhang also had a Chinese passport that was not recovered during an…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/