US arrests another Chinese scientist for allegedly smuggling biological material
The scientist is accused of shipping biological material months ago to staff at a laboratory at the University of Michigan. The FBI, in a court filing, described it as material related to certain worms and requires a government permit.
'The guidelines for importing biological materials into the US for research purposes are stringent, but clear, and actions like this undermine the legitimate work of other visiting scholars,' said John Nowak, who leads field operations at US Customs and Border Protection.
The scientist was interviewed and arrested on Sunday after arriving on a flight from China, where she is pursuing an advanced degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. She planned to spend a year completing a project at the University of Michigan.
Her shipments, including an envelope stuffed inside a book, were intercepted last year and earlier this year and opened by authorities, the FBI said.
The court filing doesn't indicate whether the FBI believes the biological material was risky, though US attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr said smuggling 'threatens our security'.
The scientist remains in custody awaiting a bond hearing on Wednesday.
'It doesn't strike me as something that is dangerous in any way. But there are rules to ship biological material,' said Michael Shapira, a biologist at the University of California, Berkeley, who read the court filing and spoke to the Associated Press.
The government last week charged two Chinese scientists who are accused of conspiring to smuggle a toxic fungus into the US. One was turned around at the Detroit airport and sent back to China last year, while the other, a researcher at the University of Michigan, was arrested. She remains in custody.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Minnesota calls in national guard after capital city slammed by ‘digital attack'
Minnesota has called in the national guard after the city of St Paul was slammed by what its mayor described as a 'deliberate, coordinated, digital attack' carried out by sophisticated hackers. Governor Tim Walz said in a statement that he was deploying the guard, which has a cyber protection component, because the attack had 'exceeded the city's response capacity'. In a press conference Tuesday, St Paul mayor Melvin Carter said the city had 'initiated a full shut down of our information systems as a defensive measure to contain the threat', triggering wifi outages across city buildings, disruptions to city libraries, and suspension of network resources. 'While these disruptions are difficult, they are necessary steps to limit exposure, preserve system integrity, and protect sensitive information,' he said. The city first noticed 'suspicious activity' on its internal systems in the early morning of 25 July, according to a press release from the St Paul mayor's office. St Paul leaders ultimately decided to restrict access to the system that was targeted and then shut down the full network on Tuesday. Emergency services were not compromised, Carter said. Carter said the city had hired two firms to help handle the cleanup operation and was working with the FBI. He did not identify the firms. The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know. If you have something to share on this subject you can contact us confidentially using the following methods. Secure Messaging in the Guardian app The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said. If you don't already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS/Android) and go to the menu. Select 'Secure Messaging'. SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post See our guide at for alternative methods and the pros and cons of each. The precise nature of the attack has not been publicly disclosed. Crippling hacks that knock out city services are a hallmark of ransomware incidents, in which hackers deploy data-scrambling software to paralyze victim networks until a ransom payment is made. 'Working closely with state leaders and private cybersecurity experts, our teams quickly moved to investigate, assess, and contain the situation,' Carter said in prepared remarks. Carter said that the investigation is ongoing and that the city is still working to determine what data was accessed and stolen. In the meantime, he urged city employees to 'take precautionary steps to safeguard their digital security, in both their professional and personal lives'. Sign up to TechScape A weekly dive in to how technology is shaping our lives after newsletter promotion Army brigadier general Simon Schaefer of the Minnesota national guard said in a statement that it is providing cyber protection support at the request of the city. An FBI spokesperson told Reuters that the agency was aware of the situation and in contact with city officials. 'We are working with partners and lending our investigative expertise,' the spokesperson said.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Inside FBI boss Kash Patel's new secret spy base in New Zealand to counter chilling moves by China
The FBI is taking a major step to combat the growing threat from China. For the first time ever the bureau is establishing a law enforcement attaché office in New Zealand, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal. FBI Director Kash Patel traveled this week to open the office in Wellington and met on Wednesday with key New Zealand officials to emphasize the importance of expanding cooperation in the region. While the FBI has personnel stationed in New Zealand already, opening an office marks a significant step in addressing the threat the Chinese Communist Party poses to the U.S. and its allies. New leadership at the FBI said it was surprised to find out an office was not already established in the region considering the increased tensions between Washington, D.C. and Beijing in recent years. 'The FBI has had a strong relationship and collaborated closely with our counterparts in New Zealand for years,' Patel said in a statement to the Daily Mail regarding the opening of the new office. 'Expanding the Wellington office demonstrates the strength and evolution of our partnership as we continue to work together to address our shared security objectives in the region.' The trip comes as the FBI and Justice Department continue to face fallout from the botched review of the Jeffrey Epstein files. But Director Patel is chugging forward with his mission to restore Americans' faith in the bureau. The roles of attaché agents are to build and maintain relationships with foreign law enforcement and security services – specifically to facilitate information sharing among the intelligence communities. These FBI offices are spread throughout the world through agreements with the host countries to coordinate operations and collaborate on operations. The move this week marks an acknowledgement that the FBI is taking seriously the continued increase in threatening activity from Beijing and other foreign adversaries in region. 'Opening our first new law enforcement attaché in the Wellington Office marks a historic step for the FBI as we strengthen our working relationship with New Zealand and confront the growing threats of our time emanating from the Indo-Pacific — particularly from hostile nation-state actors like the Chinese Communist Party,' FBI spokesperson Ben Williamson told the Daily Mail. He said that the office will help 'better position' the U.S. to protect itself and its citizens, as well as partners in the so-called Five Eye coalition. The Five Eyes (FVEY) coalition was established shortly after the end of World War II and facilitates intelligence sharing between the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. While the FBI's goal is protecting the homeland from terrorism, cybercrime and other civil rights threats, it's also tasked with investigating and preventing transnational criminal activity involving the U.S. Law enforcement attaché offices, known as legats, are a way for the FBI to collaborate with international partners worldwide under mutual agreement with the host country. Director Patel recognizes that having a legat office in New Zealand will combine resources and allow for a more significant impact in combating cyber threats, drug trafficking and terrorism.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Keanu Reeves' stolen John Wick Rolex returned after cops bust celeb heist ring targeting Travis Kelce
Keanu Reeves is finally getting back his beloved John Wick Rolex — after it turned up more than 5,000 miles away in Chile. The action star, 60, wasn't home when a group of masked thieves broke into his Los Angeles mansion in 2023, ransacked the place, and vanished with a haul that included a nearly $10,000 Rolex engraved with a nod to John Wick. In a wild twist, six of Keanu's watches were recovered last year during a sting in Santiago, Chile — part of a joint operation between Chilean police and the FBI to take down a South America-based burglary crew targeting celebrity homes, including Reeves and Taylor Swift 's NFL boyfriend, Travis Kelce, per TMZ. The Rolex was etched with a personal message: '2021, JW4, thank you, The John Wick Five.' Reeves had reportedly gifted the watch to crew members after filming John Wick: Chapter 4 as a token of appreciation. On Wednesday, Chilean officials handed over $125,000 worth of recovered jewelry to the FBI — who are working to return the goods to the actor, according to the outlet. Also recovered in the sting: stolen cars, iPhones, and a stash of designer purses. Despite the heightened security measures, the 2023 break-in rattled Reeves and his team. Authorities believe the burglars were after more than just valuables—they reportedly made off with a firearm along with other items. The incident wasn't the first time Reeves' Hollywood Hills estate was targeted; a similar attempt happened back in 2014, underscoring ongoing security concerns. Earlier that year, Reeves had already taken legal steps to protect himself, securing a temporary restraining order against Bryan Dixon, an alleged stalker who repeatedly showed up at his property. Surveillance footage captured Dixon trespassing six times over a two-month span, including moments when he climbed over walls, smoked in the garden, and even fell asleep in the backyard before being removed. The actor responded by hiring a private security firm to monitor the estate, but despite their efforts, the risks remained — culminating in that unsettling December night. The suspect returned the next morning, leaving a 'suspicious and alarming' backpack on the property. It included a DNA testing kit 'apparently intended to use on Mr. Reeves in a delusional attempt to prove they are blood-related.' Reeves' LA home was also the scene of back-to-back intruders in 2014. At the time, a female intruder reportedly wandered into Reeves' home and was discovered by a cleaning team - after she stripped off and jumped in the pool. The actor was not at the property when the incident occurred.
