By Whoisjohngalt
A third Chinese national has been apprehended as part of an expanding investigation into the illegal smuggling of biological materials into the United States, according to FBI Director Kash Patel on Tuesday.
In a post on X, Patel confirmed that Chengxuan Han, a PhD student from Wuhan, China, was arrested by FBI agents at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8. Han is accused of sending four packages containing biological materials related to roundworms to individuals associated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan.
Han reportedly provided false information to federal officers regarding the packages and had deleted data from her electronic device shortly before her arrival in the US. During a follow-up interview with agents from the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI), she confessed to both sending the shipments and misrepresenting their contents. “She is the third individual connected to the PRC to face similar charges in recent days,” Patel stated, positioning the arrest as part of a larger national security initiative targeting covert biological research associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). “The CCP is tirelessly working to undermine America’s research institutions,” he added. Prior FBI arrests and agroterrorism concerns.
This arrest comes on the heels of the recent detainment of two other Chinese nationals, Yunqing Jian, a former researcher at the University of Michigan, and her partner Zunyong Liu, a researcher at a Chinese institution. The couple has been charged with smuggling a hazardous agricultural pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, into the US without proper authorization.
Investigators claim that Jian secretly brought the fungus into the country, continued her research in breach of US biosecurity regulations, and had previously received funding from the Chinese government. Liu is alleged to have assisted in smuggling the pathogen through Detroit airport and initially denied his involvement before eventually confessing to the charges.
The University of Michigan has declared that it was unaware of the unauthorized shipments and is fully cooperating with federal authorities in their ongoing investigations.
Is the ‘smuggled’ fungus a threat?
The fungus responsible for Fusarium head blight presents a serious risk to cereal crops and can generate toxins that are harmful to both humans and livestock. Although federal prosecutors have described the case as a form of ‘agroterrorism’, some experts contend that the fungus is already found in the US and can be managed with current agricultural methods.
While US authorities have not verified if the smuggled roundworm materials or agricultural fungus posed an immediate public health risk, they have highlighted the wider biosecurity and national security concerns linked to such unauthorized imports.
US crackdown on Chinese student visas
The series of arrests occurs amid increased scrutiny of Chinese nationals involved in research in the US, especially in sensitive fields like biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and aerospace. The US government has implemented stricter visa regulations for students and researchers from China and Hong Kong.
