Advertisement

Chinese woman detained at Mar-a-Lago, Zhang Yujing, indicted on charges of lying and unlawful entry

  • Nothing in the indictment refers to espionage, but a prosecutor told the judge the US continued to look into that possibility

Reading Time:1 minute
Why you can trust SCMP
Zhang Yujing. Photo: TNS

A Chinese woman detained at US President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida was indicted by a federal grand jury in Palm Beach County on charges of unlawful entry and making false statements.

Advertisement

Zhang Yujing was caught at the resort with four mobile phones, a laptop computer, an external hard drive and a thumb drive containing suspected malware. Trump was golfing nearby when Zhang was taken into custody.

Zhang Yujing awaiting the start of her hearing at the US federal court in this courtroom sketch, in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday. Photo: Reuters
Zhang Yujing awaiting the start of her hearing at the US federal court in this courtroom sketch, in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday. Photo: Reuters

Nothing in the indictment refers to possible espionage, which is in line with remarks made by prosecutor Rolando Garcia at Zhang’s detention hearing in West Palm Beach on Monday. But Garcia told the federal Magistrate Judge William Matthewman that the US continued to look into that possibility.

The case has drawn scrutiny of security procedures at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump’s so-called winter White House.

Advertisement

The president regularly visits the property and conducts official business there, but it also operates as a private business dependent on traffic from members and special events.

Advertisement