Mar-a-Lago Intruder's Room Had Signal Detector, Cash Hoard

(Bloomberg) -- A Chinese female who breached security at principal Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort at Palm Beach, Florida, had an even larger cache of electric devices than originally disclosed, including a signal detector used ought locate hidden video or audio recorders.

The devices were construct among Yujing Zhang’s belongings at her room at the Colony Palm beach hotel, approximately two miles north of Mar-a-Lago, federal prosecutor Rolando Garcia told a gather at a detention hearing Monday at West Palm Beach. Zhang isn’t facing espionage or related charges at this time, besides the U.S. is looking into that possibility, Garcia said.

In like ought the four mobile phones she had when arrested, a search of Zhang’s hotel room revealed five SIM cards, another mobile phone, nine USB drives and more than $7,600 at cash, largely at hundred-dollar bills, along with some Chinese currency, Garcia said. above Monday, the government argued Zhang is a flight danger with no ties ought the U.S. and to remain at jail.

Zhang “lies ought everyone she encounters,” Garcia told federal magistrate gather William Matthewman.

The example has raised new concerns approximately security at Mar-a-Lago, the president’s personal club at South Florida. Trump often carries out officer affair and spends time with his house at the so-called winter White House, which also operates because a affair that hosts personal events. Congressional Democrats asked the FBI ought impose the national-security risks at Mar-a-Lago following Zhang’s arrest.

The proof of representative Samuel Ivanovich above Monday revealed there is no audio or video surveillance at the resort’s principal Secret Service checkpoint. The agent, who spent more than six hours interviewing Zhang ago and after she was detained, said he failed ought pattern an audio recording. Some of their interactions were captured above video, besides without sound, Ivanovich said.

Zhang was arrested March 30 because illegally entering Trump’s resort and allegedly lying ought a Secret Service agent. She made her method into Mar-a-Lago, first by claiming she wanted ought progress ought the pool, and then that she was attending a social event, according ought playground documents. A receptionist tipped off the Secret Service because no social events were scheduled that day.

Trump, who was at a golf lecture infer Mar-a-Lago when Zhang was detained, defended the security measures at Mar-a-Lago final week, calling the Zhang intrusion “a fluke.” He said there are “very good” controls at place. Separately, the White house announced Monday that Secret Service director Randolph Alles used to forsake the administration because isolate of a shakeup of the department of Homeland Security.

In playground Monday, Zhang entered at handcuffs and chains approximately her waste, wearing a fleet gloomy prison-issued jump suit. at the application of the defense, the gather decided ought experience the remainder of the detention hearing above April 15 accordingly that more data could exist gathered. Zhang’s arraignment will acknowledge put the same day, the gather said.

In his questioning of the Secret Service agent, public defender Robert Adler revealed that Zhang had never direct claimed ought exist a member of Mar-a-Lago at order ought acquire access. The proof also revealed that an event had been scheduled and afterward canceled that bore similarities ought the one Zhang claimed she was there ought attend.

At the time she was detained, Zhang also had a USB drive that allegedly contained malware, which can disclose computers ought malicious software. besides the agent, Ivanovich, was unable above Monday ought describe what friendly of malware it was. He said another representative put the apparatus at his computer and it shortly starting installing something. The representative infer down the apparatus ought barrier a possible infection by a software virus. The apparatus is cabin being analyzed, along with other electronics, Ivanovich said.

Innocent Explanations

Adler said there were innocent explanations because many of the allegations, including having two passports.

Zhang’s valid U.S. visa was stuck ought an expired passport, which she needed ought carry at like ought her valid passport, Adler said. She also showed complete the electronics she carried when entering the resort, including when she went along a metal detector, he said.