Federal authorities have arrested the parents of a woman accused of attempting to help carry out a bombing plot at a U.S. military base, adding an immigration angle to a case now drawing national security attention.
According to the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), a couple who entered the United States illegally in the 1990s were taken into custody after their daughter was charged in connection with an alleged explosive device incident.
The United States Department of Justice says Ann Zheng, 27, faces charges related to an alleged attempt to damage government property using an improvised explosive device near MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida.
Authorities say she was arrested after returning to the United States from China.
Prosecutors also allege she helped her brother avoid arrest and attempted to conceal evidence connected to the investigation. Her brother remains overseas according to reports.
Federal investigators say the parents, identified as Qiu Qin Zou and Jia Zhang Zheng, had previously applied for asylum in 1993 but were denied and ordered removed from the country in 1998. Records indicate multiple appeals were also denied.
Despite this, officials say the couple remained in the U.S. for decades.
DHS confirmed the parents were taken into immigration custody on March 18 as part of enforcement actions following the criminal charges against their daughter.
The case is also being discussed in the broader political debate around immigration policy and birthright citizenship.
The issue is currently being examined as part of legal challenges connected to policies supported by Donald Trump regarding automatic citizenship for children born in the United States.
A DHS official said cases like this raise questions about how immigration enforcement and national security policies intersect.
However, legal experts note that criminal charges apply to individuals, and family immigration status does not determine criminal guilt.
So far, prosecutors have focused their case on the alleged actions tied directly to the attempted explosive device and related obstruction claims.
The accused individuals remain entitled to due process as the case moves through federal court.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have not released further operational details due to security concerns.