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Business Standard
17 hours ago
- Business Standard
FBI arrests 3rd Chinese national in US for smuggling biological materials
A third Chinese national has been arrested in connection with a widening investigation into the unauthorised smuggling of biological materials into the United States, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday. In a post on X, Patel confirmed that Chengxuan Han, a PhD student from Wuhan, China, was detained by agents from the FBI Detroit at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8. Han stands accused of sending four packages containing biological materials related to roundworms to individuals affiliated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan. Han allegedly made false statements to federal officers about the packages and had erased her electronic device shortly before arriving in the US. In a subsequent interview with agents from the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI), she admitted to both sending the shipments and lying about their contents. 'She is the third PRC-connected individual charged on similar allegations in recent days,' Patel said, framing the arrest as part of a broader national security crackdown on covert biological research linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). 'The CCP is working relentlessly to undermine America's research institutions,' he said. Prior FBI arrests and agroterrorism concerns This arrest follows the recent detention of two other Chinese nationals, Yunqing Jian, a Chinese researcher formerly employed at the University of Michigan, and her partner Zunyong Liu, a researcher at a Chinese institution. The pair has been charged with smuggling a dangerous agricultural pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, into the US without authorisation. Investigators allege that Jian brought the fungus into the country covertly, continued her research in violation of US biosecurity protocols, and had previously received funding from the Chinese government. Liu is accused of helping smuggle the pathogen through Detroit airport and initially denying involvement before ultimately admitting to the charges. The University of Michigan has stated that it had no knowledge of the unauthorised shipments and is cooperating fully with federal authorities in their ongoing investigations. Is the 'smuggled' fungus dangerous? The fungus, which causes Fusarium head blight, poses a significant threat to cereal crops and can produce toxins harmful to humans and livestock. While federal prosecutors have labelled the case as an example of 'agroterrorism', some experts argue that the fungus is already present in the US and is manageable through existing agricultural practices. US crackdown on Chinese student visa The series of arrests comes amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese nationals engaged in research within the US, particularly in sensitive sectors such as biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and aerospace. The US government has announced stricter visa regulations for students and researchers from China and Hong Kong.
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Biological smuggling: US arrests Chinese scientist linked to Wuhan Lab
A Chinese national and Ph.D. student from Wuhan has been arrested and charged in the US for allegedly smuggling biological material related to parasitic roundworms and providing false information to federal authorities about the Han, a researcher at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, was taken into custody by the FBI upon arrival at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8. According to federal prosecutors, Han faces charges of smuggling goods into the US and making false statements -- both felony Detroit arrested a second Chinese national on charges of smuggling biological materials into the US and lying to federal agents," wrote Kash Patel, FBI director on X (formerly Twitter). "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 PRC-connected individual charged on similar allegations in recent days." Federal charging documents allege that Han sent four packages from China to contacts at a University of Michigan lab, each containing biological material related to roundworms -- a classified material that requires special import permits under US law. One of the packages, authorities say, was concealed inside a ACCUSED OF LYING, WIPING DEVICE BEFORE ENTRYUpon landing in Detroit, Han allegedly denied knowledge of the packages and failed to disclose their contents. Prosecutors also revealed that Han had erased data from her electronic devices just days before her arrival -- a move investigators view as a deliberate attempt to obstruct the arriving at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8, Han allegedly made false statements to federal officials regarding the packages she had previously mailed -- and had erased her electronic device just days prior," Patel noted. "In a follow-up interview, Han admitted to sending the packages and lying about their contents."Authorities confirmed this case is part of a broader federal crackdown on illegal biological material trafficking by individuals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), particularly those embedded in US academic is now the third Chinese researcher in recent weeks to be charged in Michigan with similar allegations. Last week, Yunqing Jian, a University of Michigan researcher, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, were charged with smuggling a dangerous crop-destroying fungus into the US — a move the FBI described as "an attack on America's food supply.""This case is part of a broader effort from the FBI and our federal partners to heavily crack down on similar pathogen smuggling operations, as the CCP works relentlessly to undermine America's research institutions," Patel Watch
