The Department of Justice announced the arrest of another Chinese national who was charged in a criminal complaint with smuggling biological material into the U.S. for work in a lab at the University of Michigan and making false statements.
Chengxuan Han, a doctoral student at the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, allegedly sent four packages containing concealed biological material to the U.S. in 2024 and 2025.
These packages were addressed to individuals associated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan. On June 8, 2025, Han arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted an inspection of Han, during which Han made false statements about the packages and the biological materials she had previously shipped to the United States. CBP officers also found that the content of Han’s electronic device had been deleted three days prior to her arrival in the United States. At the conclusion of the border inspection, Han was interviewed by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ICE HSI. During this interview, Han admitted to sending the packages, admitted that the packages contained biological material related to round worms, and admitted to making false statements to the CBP officers during her inspection.
A complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Trial cannot be held on felony charges in a complaint. When the investigation is completed, a determination will be made whether to seek a felony indictment. (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, and this interdiction is another recent example of our commitment—along with that of our law enforcement partners—to preventing potentially dangerous goods from harming the American people.”
Yesterday, @FBIDetroit arrested a second Chinese national on charges of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and lying to federal agents.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 9, 2025
This individual is Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and a Ph.D. student in Wuhan, China. Han is the third… pic.twitter.com/TE4tJgtJQi
Earlier this month, two other Chinese nationals, Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, were charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud, according to the DOJ.
The two allegedly smuggled Fusarium graminearum, a fungus that is considered a potential agroterrorism weapon, for work on it at a University of Michigan lab.
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