MONTGOMERY TOWNSHIP, NJ - Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Newark, New Jersey, have arrested a sushi restaurant owner who was allegedly a spy for China.
According to the New York Post, 61-year-old Ming Xi Zhang, also know as "Sushi John," was arrested on March 24th. Zhang is the owner of Ya Ya Noodles in Montgomery Township. In April of 2024, Zhang was convicted of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government and sentenced to three years' probation.
Three years prior, in May of 2021, he pleaded guilty to having served as an agent of China in 2016 without notifying the U.S. Attorney General. According to ICE, Zhang did enter the United States legally back in 2000, but later "violated the terms of his lawful admission."
In a statement, ICE Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris said, "Any illegal alien conducting activities related to espionage, sabotage, or export control against the United States is subject to deportation." Zhang allegedly met with Chinese security officials in the Bahamas in 2016 and delivered $35,000 to an unnamed individual in New Jersey.
He also admitted to twice hosting a Chinese government agent at his Princeton home in that fall. On Saturday, April 12th, one of his restaurant workers told the Post that Zhang is being held at the Elizabeth Detention Center awaiting immigration proceedings. The worker said, "He's doing good. I mean, given the circumstances. But yeah, he's just kind of waiting ... to get let out."
The community surrounding Zhang's restaurant has apparently rallied around him and his restaurant in the days since his arrest. The worker said, "The whole town has been really supportive. Everyone's been coming in, offering phone numbers, talking to his family ... everyone's really supportive."
Zhang's arrest comes as ICE ramps up its deportation efforts under President Trump's renewed enforcement push for removals and expanded detention authority over illegal immigrants.
The legal landscape surrounding the deportation efforts remain in flux. Last week, on Thursday, April 10th, the Supreme Court sided in part with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a noncitizen who had been deported despite an active appeal. The decision pushed the case back to the lower courts to clarify whether the government has "facilitated" or intends to facilitate his return.
On Friday, April 11th, U.S. District Judge Paul Xinis chastised Justice Department lawyers over the government's stubbornness to comply, while the Trump administration has alleged that Abrego Garcia has MS-13 gang ties and has disputed the scope of the words "facilitate" and "effectuate" in the judge's order.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, an immigration judge ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, flagged by the State Department as a national security concern stemming from his pro-Palestine picketing on Columbia's campus, can be deported. His case, however, also remains under review.
As for Zhang, ICE has not released further details regarding the scope of his actions or how long he operated in this capacity. The case remains under review as immigration authorities determine next steps in Zhang's removal proceedings.
According to the New York Post, 61-year-old Ming Xi Zhang, also know as "Sushi John," was arrested on March 24th. Zhang is the owner of Ya Ya Noodles in Montgomery Township. In April of 2024, Zhang was convicted of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government and sentenced to three years' probation.
Three years prior, in May of 2021, he pleaded guilty to having served as an agent of China in 2016 without notifying the U.S. Attorney General. According to ICE, Zhang did enter the United States legally back in 2000, but later "violated the terms of his lawful admission."
In a statement, ICE Newark Field Office Director John Tsoukaris said, "Any illegal alien conducting activities related to espionage, sabotage, or export control against the United States is subject to deportation." Zhang allegedly met with Chinese security officials in the Bahamas in 2016 and delivered $35,000 to an unnamed individual in New Jersey.
He also admitted to twice hosting a Chinese government agent at his Princeton home in that fall. On Saturday, April 12th, one of his restaurant workers told the Post that Zhang is being held at the Elizabeth Detention Center awaiting immigration proceedings. The worker said, "He's doing good. I mean, given the circumstances. But yeah, he's just kind of waiting ... to get let out."
The community surrounding Zhang's restaurant has apparently rallied around him and his restaurant in the days since his arrest. The worker said, "The whole town has been really supportive. Everyone's been coming in, offering phone numbers, talking to his family ... everyone's really supportive."
Zhang's arrest comes as ICE ramps up its deportation efforts under President Trump's renewed enforcement push for removals and expanded detention authority over illegal immigrants.
The legal landscape surrounding the deportation efforts remain in flux. Last week, on Thursday, April 10th, the Supreme Court sided in part with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a noncitizen who had been deported despite an active appeal. The decision pushed the case back to the lower courts to clarify whether the government has "facilitated" or intends to facilitate his return.
On Friday, April 11th, U.S. District Judge Paul Xinis chastised Justice Department lawyers over the government's stubbornness to comply, while the Trump administration has alleged that Abrego Garcia has MS-13 gang ties and has disputed the scope of the words "facilitate" and "effectuate" in the judge's order.
Meanwhile, in a separate case, an immigration judge ruled that Mahmoud Khalil, flagged by the State Department as a national security concern stemming from his pro-Palestine picketing on Columbia's campus, can be deported. His case, however, also remains under review.
As for Zhang, ICE has not released further details regarding the scope of his actions or how long he operated in this capacity. The case remains under review as immigration authorities determine next steps in Zhang's removal proceedings.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments
2025-04-14T18:27-0400 | Comment by: Paul
The community supports a Chinese spy? When he's found guilty, don't even let him "get his affairs in order". From the courtroom to the plane. As for Garcia. They can cancel any upcoming hearings. El Salvador's president has already stated he will not be returning him no matter what our courts say. Good for him!