The sibling of a University of Waterloo student from Ontario who was detained in an FBI counter-intelligence inquiry has rejected claims that her brother is knowingly participating in espionage for Beijing. Meixuan Wang declared in a social media post that if her brother is a Chinese spy, then she is related to Trump.
The student, Weiheng Zeng, a Chinese national born in 2004 and enrolled at the University of Waterloo, was apprehended while trying to cross the U.S. border from Windsor, Ont., and accused of making false statements. Zeng allegedly confessed to accepting paid assignments from an individual he believed to be linked to a Chinese security service.
Court filings in Michigan’s U.S. District Court contain security camera footage suggesting Zeng climbing a forklift, attempting to access a locked FedEx truck, and taking photographs from a parking area at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in April.
Zeng purportedly disclosed to investigators that he was instructed by an unidentified contact to photograph airplanes and their tail numbers in exchange for $20-30 US per picture. Furthermore, he admitted to trespassing and taking pictures at a FedEx facility at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport last year, at the behest of the same anonymous individual.
Prosecutor Alyse Wu characterized the allegations as activities typical of espionage during the court proceedings in Detroit. The U.S. Attorney’s Office spokesperson, Gina Balaya, confirmed that the case is still being investigated.
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 Instagram features images of planes, including Canadian military aircraft apparently captured at an airshow in 2024.
According to Wang, Zeng, who has autism spectrum disorder, has a fascination with airplanes and may not have comprehended the severity of the situation when questioned by U.S. border officials. Wang declined an interview request from CBC News.
Zeng, who remains in custody and did not seek bond release, is expected to appear in court again next week. RCMP acknowledged awareness of the case but did not confirm involvement in the FBI’s investigation. CSIS referred inquiries to the RCMP.
An expert, Margaret McCuaig-Johnston, expressed sympathy for Zeng and stated that students overseas are often pressured by China’s Ministry of State Security to gather intelligence and take photos for spy agencies. A Chinese Embassy spokesperson in Ottawa denounced allegations of a ‘China spy threat.’
Former CSIS Chief of the Asia-Pacific unit, Michel Juneau-Katsuya, explained that individuals paid to carry out tasks for intelligence organizations are referred to as “co-optees.” He speculated that Zeng might have been recruited to perform tasks for a spy rather than being a spy himself.