In a development that raises serious concerns about academic infiltration and national security, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that federal authorities have arrested a Chinese national, Chengxuan Han, for allegedly smuggling biological materials into the United States and lying to federal agents.
This marks the second such arrest involving smuggled biological pathogens in as many years — and once again, a University of Michigan laboratory appears to be at the center of the case.
Han, a doctoral student at the College of Life Science and Technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, was taken into custody on Sunday at Detroit Metro Airport upon arrival on a J1 research visa.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Han had sent multiple packages in 2024 and 2025 containing undeclared biological specimens — specifically materials related to roundworms — to individuals affiliated with a Michigan research facility.
During questioning by FBI and ICE officials, Han admitted to shipping the materials and acknowledged that she had lied to Customs and Border Protection officers during her initial screening. Compounding suspicions, investigators discovered that Han’s electronic device had been completely wiped just three days before her arrival, eliminating any trace of her recent communications and data.
This incident is far from an isolated event. As federal investigators are quick to point out, the importation of undeclared and potentially hazardous biological specimens from overseas research institutions — particularly those with ties to strategic Chinese universities — represents an emerging and deeply troubling pattern.
The fact that both of these recent cases involved researchers with connections to Wuhan, and both converged on one of America’s leading public research universities, is impossible to ignore.
U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. did not mince words in a public statement:
“The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”
