The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Monday that it has apprehended a University of Michigan (U-M) scholar from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for allegedly smuggling biological materials into the U.S.
Chengxuan Han, a Chinese national affiliated with U-M, is accused of sending multiple packages containing biological materials to a university laboratory and lying to federal officials about the matter, according to the DOJ. Han is the second Chinese national linked to U-M in two weeks to be hit with federal charges related to alleged smuggling of biological materials.
“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China — to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory — is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security. The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon said.
Han is pursuing a Ph.D. at the College of Life Science and Technology at Huazhong University in Wuhan and was invited to U-M as a visiting scholar, according to the DOJ. Between 2024 and 2025, Han allegedly mailed four packages containing biological materials to the U.S.
“The FBI has zero tolerance for those who violate federal law and remains unwavering in our mission to protect the American people,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The alleged smuggling of biological materials by Chengxuan Han is a direct threat to public safety and national security, and it severely compromises the integrity of our nation’s research institutions.”
During a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspection at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8, Han allegedly provided false statements about sending packages containing biological material, according to the DOJ’s press release. Authorities also discovered her electronic device had been wiped three days prior.
In a subsequent FBI interview, Han admitted to sending the packages, confirmed they contained roundworm-related material, and acknowledged lying to CBP, according to the DOJ.
“The guidelines for importing biological materials into the U.S. for research purposes are stringent, but clear, and actions like this undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars,” said CBP Acting Director of Field Operations John Nowak. “We will not tolerate the smuggling of regulated biological materials through our ports of entry.”
Just days earlier, on June 3, two other Chinese nationals — Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu — were charged with conspiracy for allegedly smuggling a fungus designated as a potential bioweapon into the U.S. for research at a U-M lab where Jian was employed.
“This latest arrest is indicative of how the University of Michigan is inadequately prepared to track and engage national security threats that emanate from Chinese nationals on campus, from students to employees,” said former Ambassador Joseph Cella, co-head of the Michigan-China Economic and Security Review Group. “They need to quickly adjust their footing commensurate with these threats and institute protocols that protect our country, state and their campus.”
U-M did not respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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