- Chengxuan Han, a Chinese doctoral student, was arrested for smuggling biological research materials (nematode growth medium, plasmids) into the U.S. while falsely declaring them as harmless items like books and plastic cups.
- Han admitted to lying to border agents and faces up to 20 years for smuggling and false statements. She was detained after arriving in Detroit from Shanghai.
- Just a week prior, UMich scholar Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, were charged for smuggling Fusarium graminearum, a dangerous crop pathogen classified as a potential agroterrorism weapon.
- Jian allegedly received Chinese government funding and investigators found evidence of her CCP loyalty.
- Liu meanwhile smuggled samples into Detroit but fled to China after being caught.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested a second Chinese visiting scholar affiliated with the University of Michigan (UMich) on charges of smuggling biological material into the United States.
According to an FBI affidavit, Chengxuan Han, a doctoral student from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, initially denied mailing any biological materials to a UMich laboratory between September 2024 and March 2025. But upon further questioning, Han eventually confessed to mailing materials containing biological substances, including nematode growth medium and plasmids – tools commonly used in genetic research and experimentation.
She also acknowledged providing false information to border agents, describing the contents of her shipments as innocuous items like plastic cups and books.
In line with this, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers flagged Han during a secondary screening at the airport. Han faces charges of smuggling goods into the country and making false statements to federal agents, charges that carry a combined maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Han was detained Sunday night, June 8, after arriving at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Shanghai and was taken into custody after an initial appearance in federal court on June 9 in Detroit and will remain in detention until at least a June 11 hearing.
Investigators said Han was not directed by anyone to send the packages, and the recipients, two unnamed individuals associated with the UMich lab, are not currently facing charges.
Another Chinese UMich scholar was arrested for smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen into the U.S.
Han was charged just one week after the FBI apprehended another Chinese scholar affiliated with the same university for attempting to smuggle a dangerous biological pathogen into the United States.
Yunqing Jian, a 33-year-old UMich scholar, along with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, allegedly conspired to illegally transport Fusarium graminearum, a fungal pathogen classified as a potential agroterrorism weapon. The pathogen causes "head blight," a devastating crop disease that affects wheat, barley, maize and rice. The fungus also poses severe health risks to livestock and humans.
Jian, who holds a doctorate in plant pathogens from Zhejiang University in China, allegedly received funding from the Chinese government. Investigators found evidence on her electronic devices indicating her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). (Related: Chinese nationals charged with smuggling potential agroterrorism fungus into the U.S.)
Liu, who researches the same pathogen at a Chinese university, allegedly smuggled samples into Detroit Metropolitan Airport on July 27, 2024, while falsely declaring to CBP officers that he was visiting Jian and had no work-related materials.
However, a secondary inspection revealed concealed items in his luggage, including a handwritten note in Chinese, a round piece of filter paper with marked circles and four plastic baggies containing reddish plant material. Initially denying knowledge of the items, Liu later admitted to hiding them and acknowledged U.S. import restrictions.
Jian has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud. Meanwhile, Liu, who reportedly returned to China, has not been apprehended.
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