What we know about the Mar-a-Lago breach

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Zhang was accused of making false statements to a federal officer and entering a restricted area.

According to the criminal complaint against Zhang, she allegedly lied to pass the security in Mar-a-Lago and violated a "protection zone".

The president was outside the property at the time of the incident.

The complaint indicates that Zhang approached the club at noon, indicated that she was going to the pool and had provided two Chinese passports to a secret service agent.

Mar-a-Lago's security "was not able to locate and check Zhang" on the guest list, but a club official, contacted by security, said that Zhang was the name of family of a club member. When asked if Zhang was his father, she "did not give a definitive answer", according to the complaint, and the club accepted it, saying "due to". a language barrier problem "that she was linked to a club member named Zhang.

Zhang moved further into the property and was taken away by a driver valet at the club's main reception, passed numerous restriction signs and passed through a checkpoint with magnetometers.

Zhang finally told a receptionist that she was present to attend an event of the "United Nations Chinese American Association" – an event that did not exist, according to the complaint. She then told the secret services that she was present to attend an event of the same name, which was not on the program either.

During a second interview, Zhang "said that his Chinese friend" Charles "had told him to travel from Shanghai (China) to Palm Beach (Florida) to attend this event and attempt to maintain with a member of the president's family about the Chinese and US foreign relations relations, "according to the court record.

The agents found four cell phones, a laptop, an "external hard drive type device" and a USB drive in Zhang's possession.

"A preliminary forensic examination of the USB drive found that it contained malicious software," the complaint said.

First court appearance

Zhang was charged on Monday, April 1, and appeared before Judge William Matthewman.

A detention hearing is scheduled for April 8 and an indictment for April 15.

CNN got audio from the audience, where we could hear Zhang speak English badly and asked for the help of a translator. She was read the charges against her and told her that she could face six years in prison.

A federal prosecutor called Zhang "an extreme risk of flight" and stated that she had no connection with the United States or the Mar-a-Lago region, showed the audio . A prosecutor also said that the Chinese consulate had been informed of Zhang's arrest the same day.

"The People's Republic of China knows full well that she was arrested," said US Attorney John McMillan.

Zhang's connections to the United States

At the hearing, Zhang said through an interpreter that she was in the United States with her family for a short time "so that we did not know the laws and that the lawyers were good." She later said "my family is in China".

Zhang said that she had a friend in the United States, but that she did not know his contact details and did not name him.

Zhang said that she was working as an investor and consultant for a Chinese company that she identified as the Shanghai Zhirong Asset Management Corporation.

She also said Monday that she had a Wells Fargo bank account in the United States and that she was exploring business options in that country.

FBI Investigation

CNN reported Wednesday that the FBI had begun investigating the possibility that the incident was a spying effort.

The US official who confirmed the spy investigation said that the FBI was doing what it had to do in these circumstances, when a stranger is involved and that there is a Meme it risk of counterintelligence or cybersecurity problems.

Trump dismissed concerns over the incident when he was questioned on Wednesday over possible Chinese spying.

"No, I'm not worried at all," Trump said.

Trump described this as a "random situation", praising both the secret service and the receptionist who arrested Zhang.

"The result is that they managed to find her and she suffered the consequences," Trump said.

Concerns for security in China

The breach highlighted long-standing security concerns in Mar-a-Lago.

Mar-a-Lago allows members, their guests and those attending club events to enter and move, even if Trump frequently visits the Florida club.

The unique nature of Trump's official work in a semi-public venue – rather than the White House or retreats favored by previous presidents – was of international significance just days after taking office, while Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could be seen responding in real time to a North Korean missile launch.
Later that year, Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Mar-a-Lago as the United States conducted air strikes on Syria and the two world leaders ate the "finest piece of chocolate cake you have never seen ", as Trump said. .
China's potential interest in Mar-a-Lago has attracted particular attention. Congressional Democrats have called for a new FBI investigation into the apparent links of a Florida woman with Trump, seeking to determine whether Cindy Yang was illegally seeking to strengthen her relationship with the president by selling access to Chinese customers.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Adam Schiff, California Democrat, was inspired by this request in a letter sent Wednesday to senior officials, requesting a meeting of information on security in Mar-a-Lago and Zhang's arrest.

Among other things, Schiff asked to know the state of progress of the investigation and whether China had attempted to conduct "influence operations" within the club.

David Shortell, Erica Orden, CNN's Evan Perez, Jeremy Diamond and Jim Acosta contributed to this report.

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