A UW undergraduate student has been charged in the U.S. with making false statements to authorities after allegedly photographing aircraft at airports in Canada and the U.S.

A CBC News story published Sept. 2 reported that Weiheng Zeng, a Chinese citizen and UW student, was arrested Aug. 23 after crossing the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor, Ont., into the U.S. Coverage by The Detroit News states that Zeng was accompanied by his sister and a classmate, who Zeng says was an aviation and geography student. He faces one count of making false statements and remains in custody while awaiting trial.

According to the CBC article, an FBI criminal complaint alleges that Zeng was captured on security footage at Chicago O’Hare International Airport in April taking photographs of aircraft. The complaint also alleges that he climbed onto a forklift and attempted to access both a locked FedEx delivery truck and a shipping container. CBC reported that investigators later connected Zeng to an Ontario-registered vehicle seen near the airport. When Zeng attempted to enter the U.S. again in August, border officers reportedly found numerous photographs of military aircraft on his phone.

According to the FBI complaint, Zeng initially told investigators that photographing aircraft was a hobby and that the images were intended for a flight radar website. The complaint alleges that he later told investigators an individual he believed was connected to a Chinese security service asked him to photograph specific aircraft and their tail numbers. CBC also reported that Zeng told investigators that the contact had directed him to photograph a FedEx facility at Toronto Pearson International Airport in October 2025. Zeng also said he received approximately US$200 after sending photographs to the contact, according to the complaint. The allegations have not been proven in court, and Zeng has only been charged with making false statements in the U.S.

The program Zeng is enrolled in and his current year of study are unknown. Imprint reached out to UW for details. The university declined to comment, stating that it does not normally comment on ongoing criminal investigations.