A California realtor accused of spying on a Taiwanese official’s family for Beijing was arrested at LAX as she tried to leave for China, federal authorities announced Sunday.

Wanying Zhang, 34, of Irvine, also known as "Heather," allegedly worked with an associate to photograph and record the family outside their Seattle-area home, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital.

"We just arrested a Chinese foreign agent at LAX attempting to depart for China," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli wrote on X.

Essayli said FBI Los Angeles agents arrested Zhang on a federal charge of acting as an unregistered agent of the People’s Republic of China.

She allegedly traveled to Seattle in 2025 at the direction of Chinese officials and sent them photos, videos and license plate information.

"She coordinated the trip with an associate and used tradecraft to avoid detection," Essayli wrote. "She never notified the Attorney General she was acting for a foreign government, a federal offense."

Speaking on "The Big Weekend Show" Sunday, Essayli said Zhang is a naturalized U.S. citizen and confirmed the alleged surveillance targeted a relative of Taiwan’s president.

"She was conducting surveillance on behalf of the Chinese government. She was acting as a foreign agent," Essayli said. "And she was spying on a relative of the president of Taiwan here in the U.S."

He said agents arrested her as she tried to board a flight to Shanghai.

FBI Director Kash Patel also issued a warning to foreign adversaries following Zhang’s arrest.

"Foreign adversaries take note: America is no longer a safe place to run your espionage operations," Patel said.

"Allegedly surveil a foreign leader’s family on U.S. soil for the PRC — and try to catch a flight back to Shanghai? Not happening."

"This FBI is hunting threats to our national security wherever they hide — and bringing them to justice," he added.

The alleged target was Ting-Yu Lai, the U.S.-based son of Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, Taiwan’s president during a potential conflict.

"Engaging in surveillance of a close relative of a high-ranking member of Taiwan’s government is not normal diplomatic behavior, especially inside of the United States," he wrote.

Essayli warned on "The Big Weekend Show" that the threat extends beyond California.

"China’s very good at using people who are already here," he said. "I don’t think it’s unique to California. It is happening nationwide."

Essayli said Zhang is scheduled to appear Monday in federal court in Los Angeles and noted that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The arrest comes months after former Arcadia Mayor Eileen Wang was charged in a separate case with acting as an agent of China involving paid efforts to spread pro-Beijing propaganda in the United States.

Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI and the Justice Department for comment and additional information.