A Chinese man is in custody in Detroit after admitting he was paid by someone he thinks works for the Chinese government to take photos of cargo aircraft at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. Weiheng Zang, who is attending university in Canada on a student visa, has been charged with lying to a Customs and Border Protection agent in Detroit when he tried to cross the border from Canada last week. He was detained at the border because the vehicle he was driving was identified in surveillance video that showed an Asian man climbing on a forklift at a FedEx facility to take photos of aircraft on the ramp. He originally told the border agent that he was going to Chicago to visit his sister, but during questioning he admitted to taking the photos for a Chinese man who paid him $20 to $30 for each photo.
Zang has been in Canada since 2022 and has crossed into the U.S. 24 times. Last April, he crossed the border and said he would be visiting his sister. Ten days later FedEx employees noticed a stranger in the staff parking lot taking pictures of aircraft. They reported the encounter and the surveillance video was pulled. When he tried to cross last week, agents found images of aircraft on his phone and also pictures of Zang taking part in some kind of military style firearms training. The investigation also found that Zang had been confronted by a worker at the FedEx facility in Toronto and told to leave.
Looks like one distraction event after the other.
…agents found images of aircraft on his phone and also pictures of Zang taking part in some kind of military style firearms training’
Nothing known to be illegal about either from photos. O’Hare property is city owned, public use. Is the FedEx facility privately owned or leased from the city?
‘ The investigation also found that Zang had been confronted by a worker at the FedEx facility in Toronto and told to leave.’ So private property? Were the authorities called for enforcement then, or was it merely paranoia on public property?
I’ve got all manner of photos on my phone from public spaces and into private spaces from public. There is no expectation of privacy in public.
Trespassing, lying to authorities, commercial use of photos are a different animal, potentially falling under legal purview. It’s important to discriminate concerning our rights.
If he is a Chinese national he has no rights under U.S. law. And by your assertion, all surveillance cameras (Flock, LPR’s, etc.) are legal government “eyes”.
Nope. Read the US Constitution Bill of Rights
I’m guessing you weren’t paid by “someone you don’t know” for every photo you took and that you didn’t lie to government officials to get access to the places you photographed.
Spoken like a true agent of influence. You must be a chinadian
Typical of chinada. The government turns a blind eye to chinese nationals and agents. They are running the liberal party as we see the effects every day. Chinese interns arrested in brussles? Yeah a liberal party plant.
looks like trespassing is all they can get him for. but get the name of his contact and put them both under surveillance.
Arguing among ourselves and stoking political polarization – mission accomplished.