A California real estate agent accused of collecting intelligence on a relative of Taiwan’s president on behalf of China asked a federal court Wednesday to release her from custody. She offered more than $800,000 in property equity and financial guarantees, while challenging prosecutors’ contention that she might flee.
Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine, said through her attorney that her U.S. citizenship, family connections and record of returning from international travel showed she would attend future court hearings, according to a nine-page defense filing obtained by News Media.
Zhang was arrested Sunday at Los Angeles International Airport as she prepared to board a flight to China. She has been charged federally with acting as an unregistered agent of a foreign government.
This photo provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows Wanying Zhang being arrested Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
Her lawyer, Craig Harbaugh, told the court that Zhang arrived in the United States in 2014, became a naturalized citizen in 2020 and has worked in Orange County’s real estate industry for about 10 years.
According to the defense filing, Zhang lives with her husband and their two daughters, who are 8 and 5 years old.
As part of its proposed release plan, the defense offered an Irvine home with at least $700,000 in equity as security. Zhang’s husband, his sister, his father and a family friend also agreed to provide a combined $120,000 in financial guarantees.
This undated photo released by the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, shows Wanying Zhang. (U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California via AP)
Harbaugh proposed placing Zhang under GPS-monitored home detention, requiring her to surrender her travel documents and allowing authorities to monitor her electronic devices. The plan would also bar her from entering airports or contacting people tied to the case.
The defense filing acknowledged that Pretrial Services had recommended detention because of concerns Zhang might not appear in court. Her lawyers argued, however, that the proposed restrictions would sufficiently address the risk.
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Zhang’s attorneys also downplayed the importance of the one-way ticket to China that she held when she was arrested. They said she routinely arranged international travel by purchasing outbound and return tickets separately.
The filing said Zhang had traveled to China, France and Japan over the previous year and returned to the United States after each journey.
Her lawyers said the October trip was planned so she could visit her mother, but that it had been delayed until after her daughters’ birthdays.
The criminal complaint alleges that Zhang took part in a surveillance operation in September 2025 outside the Seattle-area home of a close relative of a Taiwanese government official.
An FBI affidavit says investigators examined security-camera footage that allegedly showed Zhang and another person photographing the individual and family members near their residence.
Travelers exit a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, March 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Ethan Swope/AP Photo)
Federal authorities further allege that Zhang sent photographs, video and vehicle details to a suspected Chinese government official through electronic communications.
Investigators also said Zhang studied at China’s University of International Relations in Beijing, a school the FBI characterized as closely linked to the country’s intelligence apparatus.
Zhang’s attorneys deny the allegation and say she plans to prove her innocence.
If convicted, Zhang could receive a maximum federal prison sentence of 10 years.