An Ontario university student has come under suspicion of engaging in espionage activities following revelations by the FBI that he confessed to accessing airport facilities in Toronto and Chicago to take photographs on behalf of an undisclosed individual from China.
The student, Weiheng Zeng, who holds Chinese citizenship, was apprehended in Michigan on August 23 after crossing the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor, Ontario. He faces a charge of making false statements and appeared in a federal court in Detroit, where he agreed to be detained until his trial.
Zeng, an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo born in 2004, came to the attention of U.S. authorities in April after an incident was captured on security video at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. The incident involved Zeng taking photos, climbing a forklift, and attempting to access locked delivery trucks and containers in the FedEx parking lot at the airport, as detailed in a criminal complaint reviewed by CBC News.
Upon investigation, it was discovered that Zeng had connections to a dark blue Chrysler Town & Country minivan with Ontario license plates spotted on nearby CCTV cameras. When he tried to re-enter the U.S. the following month in the same vehicle, Zeng initially claimed to be on a one-day trip to Chicago but was subjected to multiple interviews by border officers due to inconsistencies in his statements.
During the questioning, it was revealed that Zeng had a collection of military aircraft photos on his phone, which he claimed were for a flight radar website and part of his hobby as a plane enthusiast. However, the FBI found images of Zeng in tactical gear holding rifle-styled firearms, which he explained as being related to airsoft guns, denying any military background.
Further investigations unveiled that Zeng was being compensated by an unnamed “Chinese contact” to photograph specific aircraft and their tail numbers. Zeng believed this contact to be associated with a Chinese security agency and described their relationship as originating from a Chinese aviation enthusiasts’ forum in 2024.
Zeng, residing in Cambridge, Ontario, disclosed a complex communication method orchestrated by the “Chinese contact,” involving the exchange of funds in Chinese yuan via bank transfers and periodic mailing of SIM cards for his Huawei cell phone. The SIM cards allowed Zeng to communicate directly with the Chinese provider network, bypassing Canadian cellular services.
In a separate interview with the FBI, Zeng mentioned being instructed by his contact in October 2025 to capture images inside a FedEx facility at Toronto Pearson International Airport. Despite being confronted by a FedEx employee and only managing exterior photos, Zeng claimed to have sent the images to his contact and received payment in U.S. dollars.
During court proceedings, prosecutors argued that Zeng posed a flight risk due to being a foreign national without substantial ties to the district, emphasizing concerns about his alleged involvement in espionage-related activities. Zeng consented to remain in custody, confirming his understanding through a Mandarin interpreter.
The allegations against Zeng remain unproven in court, with details about his academic program at the University of Waterloo and his arrival in Canada remaining undisclosed. University officials declined to comment on the ongoing legal matter, stating that they typically refrain from involvement in criminal investigations. Waterloo police clarified that they were not engaged in the case.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa expressed opposition to what they termed as sensationalizing the “China spy threat” and making unfounded accusations against China. For any tips related to this story, CBC News senior reporter Thomas Daigle can be contacted via email: thomas.daigle@cbc.ca.