Recently, Ming Xi Zhang, also known as “Sushi John,” the operator of the well-known Chinese restaurant “YaYa Noodle” in Montgomery Town, Somerset County, New Jersey, was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for failing to register as an agent of the Chinese Communist government in the past.
Ming Xi Zhang, born in Qingdao, China, graduated in electrical engineering from Ocean University of China. After working in the human resources department of the Qingdao government for about eight years, amid China’s economic struggles in 2000, he decided to visit the United States, eventually choosing to settle there.
Since legally entering the U.S. in 2000, Zhang had worked at various restaurants in the Princeton area before founding “YaYa Noodle” in 2011. The restaurant, located on Highway 206, gained popularity among local residents and even collaborated with local authorities to host Asian community safety discussions. Due to the sushi served at his restaurant, he earned the nickname “Sushi John.”
However, according to a written plea agreement obtained by “nj.com,” Zhang confessed to multiple secret meetings with Chinese state security personnel in 2016. He admitted that in April of that year, he met with Chinese security personnel in the Bahamas, receiving instructions to collect $35,000 to be transferred to an unnamed individual. Following instructions, he delivered cash at a meeting near the restaurant in the Skillman community. That fall, he hosted Chinese intelligence officers at his home in Princeton twice.
In May 2021, Zhang pleaded guilty to operating as a foreign government agent without registering and cooperated with the prosecution. In April 2024, he was sentenced to three years of probation and fined $10,000. Throughout the trial, he remained on bail and agreed to potential deportation in the future.
Upon receiving a notice from ICE on March 24, 2025, Zhang was arrested when reporting as required. ICE stated that despite his legal entry in 2000, he violated the terms of legal residence, triggering deportation proceedings. A spokesperson emphasized ICE’s commitment to “arresting foreign nationals violating immigration laws, upholding the integrity of the immigration system, and promoting public safety,” without providing further detention details.
John Tsoukaris, director of ICE’s Newark Enforcement and Removal Operations, stated, “Any foreign national residing illegally in the U.S. and involved in espionage, sabotage, or violating export control laws may face deportation.”