ICE Arrests Chinese National for Espionage in New Jersey
ICE arrested Ming Xi Zhang, a Chinese national, in Newark, NJ, for acting as an unregistered agent of China. Zhang entered the U.S. legally in 2000 but later “violated the terms of his lawful admission,” according to ICE’s John Tsoukaris.
In 2024, he was sentenced to three years’ probation, a punishment some critics called too lenient.
Zhang, also known as “Sushi John,” ran Ya Ya Noodles in NJ. He admitted to meeting Chinese security officials in the Bahamas in 2016 and hosting a Chinese agent at his home in Princeton. He also transferred $35,000 to someone in NJ.
Conservatives criticized the delay in Zhang’s capture, warning of growing “#CCPChina’s influence operations.”
The Department of Homeland Security warned that Chinese-made cameras pose security risks, stating, “A cyber actor could exploit cameras… to extract sensitive process data… or disable fail-safe mechanisms.” They called for stricter enforcement of camera bans.
