A 61-year-old man in New Jersey was arrested by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in March. Ming Xi Zhang, the alleged “sushi spy,” owns Ya Ya Noodles in Montgomery Township, NJ. He was convicted last year of working as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government and sentenced to three years’ probation, according to the New York Post.
Since his March 24 arrest in Newark, US immigration officials have said that even though he legally entered the country in June 2000 at the Los Angeles International Airport, he eventually “violated the terms of his lawful admission.” ICE Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris remarked, “Any illegal alien conducting activities related to espionage, sabotage or export control against the United States is subject to deportation.”
What we know about Chinese national who legally entered America – arrested by US immigration officials
As the alleged spy of the Chinese government awaits immigration proceedings, he’s being held in ICE custody at the Elizabeth Detention Centre, as per a worker at his New Jersey sushi joint. “He’s doing good, I mean, given the circumstances,” they said. “But yeah, he’s just kind of waiting… to get let out.” The staffer also stated that the entire town is in his corner, rallying in his support. “Everybody’s been coming in, offering phone numbers, talking to his family… everyone’s really supportive.”
Prior to his April 2024 conviction, ‘Sushi John’ pleaded guilty to serving as an agent of China in 2016 without prior notification to the US Attorney General. Ming Xi Zhang is believed to have colluded with Chinese security officials in the Bahamas that year and dropped off $35,000 to an individual in New Jersey, as per NJ.com. The sushi restaurant owner has also confessed to hosting an agent of the Chinese government at his Princeton home in fall 2016.
On March 26, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement newsroom published the official news release titled “ICE arrests Chinese national convicted of illegally acting as agent of foreign government.”