An individual studying at a university in Ontario is under suspicion of engaging in espionage following statements made by the FBI regarding his admission to accessing airport facilities in Toronto and Chicago to capture photographs on behalf of an unidentified person from China.
The student, identified as Weiheng Zeng, a Chinese national, was apprehended in Michigan on August 23 after crossing the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor, Ontario. He is facing a charge of making false statements.
Zeng made an appearance in a federal court in Detroit on Tuesday and consented to remain in custody pending his trial.
The suspicions on Zeng were first raised by U.S. authorities in April when a security incident involving him was captured on 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 shipping containers in the airport’s parking lot, as per a criminal complaint reviewed by CBC News.
During questioning, Zeng admitted to climbing the forklift at O’Hare to capture better photos, as per the complaint. Investigators were able to link Zeng to a dark blue Chrysler Town & Country minivan with Ontario license plates through nearby CCTV footage.
When Zeng tried to re-enter the U.S. last month driving the same vehicle, he initially claimed he was on a one-day trip to Chicago. However, border officers conducted multiple interviews with him as his story kept changing.
Upon inspection of his phone, which contained numerous photos of military aircraft, Zeng initially claimed they were for a flight radar website, stating that plane photography was his hobby. However, the phone also contained images of individuals in tactical gear holding rifle-style firearms, which Zeng explained were related to airsoft guns.
Zeng later admitted that he was being paid by an individual referred to as “Chinese contact” in U.S. court records to photograph specific planes and their tail numbers. He believed this contact was affiliated with a Chinese security service and mentioned meeting them on a Chinese aviation enthusiast forum in 2024.
Zeng detailed to investigators a communication system he used with the contact, involving receiving new SIM cards every few months for his Huawei cell phone, which were to be destroyed after use to maintain secrecy.
During a separate interview, Zeng disclosed that in October 2025, he was instructed by his contact to take photos inside a FedEx facility at Toronto Pearson International Airport, which led to a confrontation with a FedEx employee.
In court hearings, a federal prosecutor argued that Zeng posed a flight risk due to being a foreign national with potential ties to espionage activities.
Zeng’s defense attorney confirmed that he agreed to remain in custody during a court appearance in Detroit, with Zeng acknowledging this decision through a Mandarin-language interpreter.
The allegations against Zeng have not been proven in court, and details about his academic program or arrival in Canada remain undisclosed. The University of Waterloo declined to comment on ongoing legal matters, and the Waterloo police confirmed no involvement in the investigation.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Ottawa denounced the speculation and accusations against China related to espionage activities.
For any news tips regarding this case, contact CBC News senior reporter Thomas Daigle via email at thomas.daigle@cbc.ca.