Woman arrested for trespassing at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago is another Chinese national
A Chinese woman was arrested Wednesday for trespassing at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s private South Florida club and newly declared legal residence, the second such instance this year.
Jing Lu, 56, was spotted on club grounds and asked to leave by staff, said Michael Ogrodnick, a spokesman for the Palm Beach Police Department.
“She returned and began to take photos, at which time the Palm Beach Police Department responded and took her into custody,” Ogrodnick said in a statement.
Lu asked for an attorney and was booked into Palm Beach County jail for “loitering and prowling,” he said. Jail records show she is also being charged with resisting an officer without violence and is being held for U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement. She is in the country on an expired visa, according to police.
Earlier this year, federal authorities arrested another Chinese national, Yujing Zhang, 33, for unlawfully entering the club. The U.S. Secret Service originally said Zhang was carrying a thumb drive loaded with “malicious malware” when she was arrested in March, but she did not face any espionage-related charges.
A receptionist at Mar-a-Lago declined to comment Wednesday. So did the White House. The Trump Organization, the president’s private company, did not respond to a request for comment. The Secret Service also did not respond to a request for comment, but it does not provide security for the club on days when the president is not in town.
Trump spent Wednesday in Washington, D.C., while the House of Representatives was debating his impeachment, and then traveled to an evening political rally in Michigan.
He announced on Twitter earlier this month that he would spend the winter holidays at the club, which he called “the Southern White House.” The president recently switched his official residence from New York City to Mar-a-Lago, located in the island town of Palm Beach. He spends considerable time there, especially during the winter. The club, one of the crown jewels of his business empire, hosted a gala for the conservative group Turning Point USA Wednesday evening. Set to speak at the event were Jerry Falwell Jr. and Donald Trump Jr., among others.
Security breaches have happened before at Mar-a-Lago, raising fears of potential national-security threats.
Zhang, the first Chinese national to be arrested at the club, was convicted of entering a restricted area and lying to a federal agent in September. She currently awaits deportation.
While the exclusive club is members only, the public can buy tickets to charity galas and other events held there during Palm Beach society’s winter high season. That open access has led Mar-a-Lago to become the focal point of an industry dubbed “Trump Tourism,” which markets itself to people trying to get close to the president.
Chinese tourists in particular became regulars at the club after Trump’s election, showing up to events there in increasing numbers. Many bought tickets through Cindy Yang, a South Florida massage-parlor owner who reinvented herself by selling access to the club. Yang took several photos with the president at events and used them to advertise her business. She had helped arrange the event Zhang sought to attend before her arrest.
Even before Zhang’s intrusion, the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami were investigating possible Chinese spying in South Florida, including at Mar-a-Lago.
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 3:34 PM.
