The sibling of a student from a university in Ontario who was apprehended in an FBI investigation related to counter-intelligence activities has rejected claims that her brother was knowingly engaged in espionage on behalf of Beijing.
Meixuan Wang stated in a social media post that if her brother were a Chinese spy, then she would be related to Donald Trump. The student in question, Weiheng Zeng, a Chinese national born in 2004 and enrolled at the University of Waterloo, was arrested last month while trying to cross the U.S. border from Windsor, Ontario. He faces charges of providing false information.
According to a legal complaint, Zeng confessed to receiving financial compensation for carrying out assigned tasks from an individual he believed to have ties to a Chinese security agency. The complaint, lodged in the U.S. District Court in Michigan, contains surveillance footage showing a man scaling a forklift, attempting to access a locked FedEx truck, and taking photographs at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in April.
Zeng admitted to investigators that he was instructed by his undisclosed contact to photograph airplanes and their tail numbers, receiving $20-30 US dollars per image. The legal filing also details Zeng’s account of trespassing and taking photos at a FedEx site in Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last year at the request of the same unidentified individual.
The prosecutor, Alyse Wu, characterized the allegations as activities akin to espionage during the court proceedings in Detroit. The U.S. Attorney’s Office representative, Gina Balaya, confirmed that the case remains under active investigation.
Weiheng Zeng, known as Billy on his public Instagram profile, describes himself as a “photography lover” and anticipates graduating from Waterloo’s global business and digital arts program in 2028. His social media showcases aircraft photos, including those of Canadian military planes apparently captured at an air exhibition in 2024.
Zeng’s Instagram account also features images from trips to Chicago, where his sister, an artist, resides and works. Wang, also known as Jade, disclosed to the Globe and Mail that her brother has a keen interest in airplanes and is on the autism spectrum. She suggested that Zeng might not have fully comprehended the severity of the situation when questioned by U.S. border officials.
Zeng’s court-appointed federal defender, Rhonda Brazile, did not respond to requests for comments. Zeng is set to appear in court again next week, with his current detention status and absence of a bond request noted.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) is aware of the case but declined to confirm their involvement in the FBI’s investigation. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) redirected inquiries to the RCMP.
Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, a member of an Ottawa-based think-tank advisory board, expressed sympathy for Zeng, suggesting he may have been unaware of the implications of his actions. She highlighted the routine practice of China’s Ministry of State Security leveraging students abroad to gather intelligence and capture photos beneficial to Beijing’s intelligence services.
A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Ottawa released a statement opposing the sensationalizing of alleged Chinese espionage threats and unsubstantiated accusations against China. Michel Juneau-Katsuya, a former chief at CSIS, explained that individuals paid to carry out tasks for intelligence entities are commonly referred to as “co-optees.” Juneau-Katsuya indicated that Zeng might fall into this category rather than being a full-fledged spy, as he may have been recruited to perform tasks for a spy organization.