China Confirms National Detention in US Over Alleged Break-in at Trump's Florida Residence
A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed on Friday that a Chinese woman had been arrested in the US state of Florida on charges of trespassing on President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, the second such incident to happen this year
Lu Jing, 56, reportedly broke onto the grounds of the private residence and was approached by security personnel, who asked her to leave. She returned, however, to take photos and was subsequently arrested by local police. During the investigation, it was discovered that the woman was in the US on an expired visa.
"According to the information I currently have, the Chinese embassy in the US has received a notice from the US on the arrest of a Chinese national on December 18.
The Chinese Consulate General in Houston has been able to get in touch with her," Geng Shuang said.
According to the spokesman, the Chinese government asks all its citizens abroad to respect the local laws and refrain from any illegal activities, but also counts on the US to respect the rights and interests of the detained woman.
In April, another Chinese woman, 33-year old Yujing Zhang, was sentenced to eight months in prison for attempting to trespass on Mar-a-Lago's grounds and giving false statements to law enforcement. As she was being arrested, she had multiple electronic devices on her with what was later confirmed to be malware, prompting suspicions that she was a spy.
Neither time had Trump been present in the residence.