An Ontario university student has been arrested in the United States following an FBI counter-intelligence investigation into allegations that he photographed sensitive areas at airports in Toronto and Chicago at the request of a contact he believed was connected to the Chinese government.
Weiheng Zeng, a Chinese citizen studying at the University of Waterloo, came to the attention of U.S. authorities following a suspicious incident at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport in April, according to an FBI affidavit filed in a Michigan court.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and Zeng has been charged with making false statements.
According to the affidavit, authorities began investigating after a man was reportedly seen taking photographs around a FedEx facility at O’Hare airport on April 21.
The FBI agent alleges the individual climbed onto a forklift and attempted to open locked trailers at the facility.
Investigators subsequently linked Zeng to a vehicle that was allegedly present at the FedEx facility during the incident.
The visit occurred approximately 10 days after Zeng had entered the United States by car through the Ambassador Bridge connecting Windsor and Detroit, according to the affidavit.
Several months later, on Aug. 23, Zeng attempted to enter the United States again using the same vehicle.
This time, U.S. authorities pulled him aside for questioning.
He was initially interviewed by border officials and was later questioned by FBI agents as investigators sought answers about the earlier airport incident.
According to the FBI affidavit, Zeng provided conflicting explanations during the interviews before eventually telling investigators that he had been hired by a Chinese contact to photograph FedEx facilities at Chicago’s O’Hare airport and Toronto Pearson International Airport.
The FBI alleges Zeng believed the person requesting the photographs was a Chinese government security official.
The case is being investigated as a counter-intelligence matter, although the charge currently reported against Zeng is for allegedly making false statements.
The allegations raise questions about why photographs of logistics and airport facilities in both Canada and the United States were allegedly being sought and what purpose they may have served.
The affidavit represents the FBI’s account of the investigation and allegations against Zeng. The accusations have not been tested in court, and a criminal charge does not establish guilt.
Zeng is entitled to the presumption of innocence unless the allegations are proven in court.