The Chinese woman accused of lying to the Secret Service and trespassing during an attempt to enter Mar-a-Lago on March 30 had her U.S. visa revoked at a bail hearing in Palm Beach on Monday, according to the Palm Beach Daily News and a New York Times reporter.
Yujing Zhang’s arrest last week reportedly reinvigorated an FBI counterintelligence investigation into alleged Chinese spying at Mar-a-Lago amid initial allegations that Zhang had entered the winter White House with a malware-infected thumb drive.
The hearing on Monday revealed that Zhang had a device that allowed her to detect concealed surveillance cameras in her south Florida hotel room, as well as nine thumb drives, CNN reported.
At the hearing, prosecutors also reportedly alleged that Zhang “lies to everyone she encounters,” specifically during an earlier court appearance that concerned her financial assets in the U.S., per CNN. The government alleged that Zhang had $7,500 in cash at her hotel room as well as “multiple” credit cards, according to CNN.
Prosecutors said Zhang entered the U.S. at Newark-Liberty International Airport on March 28, CNN reported. She attempted to enter Mar-a-Lago on March 30, the same night that an event promoted by south Florida massage mogul Cindy Yang had been scheduled to take place. The event had been cancelled before Zhang arrived.
Prosecutors showed the Chinese-language invitation that Zhang presented as a means of gaining access to Mar-a-Lago. A CNN reporter wrote that the invitation was the same as one posted on Cindy Yang’s website.
A secret service agent reportedly testified that after putting a thumb drive of Zhang’s into his computer, the device immediately began to download something onto his computer. The agent said that he shut down his computer to “stop the corruption.”
Zhang has not been charged with any espionage-related violations.
At the hearing, a federal prosecutor reportedly said that Zhang has no U.S. ties.
“Her ties are all in China,” the prosecutor said, per CNN.
