Taiwan woman who gained fame in 2014 student protests, arrested in US, wanted for fraud & drug crimes

A protestor dubbed the "Sunflower Queen" during the 2014 Taiwan Sunflower Movement student protests was extradited to Taiwan from the U.S.

Johanne Liou was arrested at a Boston hotel for overstaying her visa on Jan. 22, 2025, and her arrest was made public on the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) website in early February 2025.

According to Focus Taiwan, Liou was deported from San Francisco International Airport on Jun. 3 and arrived at the Taoyuan airport on Jun. 4 at 7pm local time.

She was transferred to the custody of the Taiwanese Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB), handcuffed and brought in for questioning.

Wanted by five Taiwanese district prosecutors' offices

According to the CIB, Liou will be handed over to the New Taipei District Prosecutors' Office to face further questioning over her alleged crimes.

Liou is wanted by five Taiwanese district prosecutors' offices, including in New Taipei, for embezzlement, fraud, and drug crimes related to cocaine and marijuana, reported Focus Taiwan.

In 2019, Liou allegedly went to the U.S. with embezzlement charges pending and was involved in peddling drugs from the U.S. to individuals in Taiwan's entertainment industry.

Joint action was taken by the CIB, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, and U.S. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) to apprehend her.

ICE said its Boston field office apprehended Liou, a "fugitive, criminal alien wanted for embezzlement, fraud, drug crimes in Taiwan".

She entered the U.S. lawfully on a temporary visitor visa in May 2019 but did not depart by the required August 2019 exit date.

Liou was supposed to be repatriated by March 2025, but she filed several appeals and delayed her deportation, reported Focus Taiwan.

Allegedly introduced Taiwanese women to prostitution ring

In 2014, Liou went viral after her looks caught Taiwanese media attention.

Shortly after, the media alleged that she introduced Taiwanese women to a cross-border prostitution ring.

According to Focus Taiwan, this barred her from leaving Taiwan a decade ago, and she was later indicted on morality provisions of Taiwan's Criminal Code.

She pleaded guilty to two counts of brokering Taiwanese women to serve as prostitutes in the U.S. and was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for two years.

She allegedly became involved in embezzlement, fraud, and drug crimes after and was placed on a New Taipei District Prosecutors Office's wanted list after failing to appear in court in 2023.