Chinese PhD Student Arrested for Smuggling Biological Materials to U.S. Lab
On the same day that another Chinese national pleaded guilty to federal charges after sending military equipment to North Korea, a Chinese PhD student from Wuhan was arrested for allegedly smuggling biological materials into the United States and making false statements to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), had been detained at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport after an inspection revealed discrepancies in her customs declarations and the presence of deleted electronic data.
Han, who is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at the College of Life Science and Technology in Wuhan, is said to have sent four packages containing concealed biological material to a laboratory at the University of Michigan beginning in 2024. These packages were received by individuals at the lab and were inspected by CBP officers upon her arrival in the U.S. on a J1 visa. During the inspection, Han allegedly made false statements about the contents of the shipments, and CBP officers uncovered that her electronic devices had been wiped or deleted just three days before her arrival.
Following the inspection, FBI agents and ICE officials conducted interviews with Han. According to the DOJ, she allegedly admitted to sending the packages and revealed that they contained biological material related to round worms. Han also confessed to providing false information to CBP officers regarding the material she had previously shipped to the U.S.
The U.S. Attorney’s office issued a statement emphasizing the gravity of the situation. “The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China—to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory—is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. “The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.” This remark has drawn immediate attention, as it highlights concerns over the potential risks associated with the transfer of sensitive biological research to domestic entities.
The case involving Han is closely linked to the recent conviction of Shenghua Wen, a 42-year-old Chinese national who was previously in the U.S. on a student visa. Wen became a subject of federal investigations after he was found to have acted under the direction of North Korean officials, shipping firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology to North Korea as part of a covert operation. This development has raised broader concerns about the security implications of international research collaborations and the potential for misuse of sensitive information.
In a separate but related matter, the arrest of Han comes in the context of an ongoing Trump-era visa crackdown, which has led to increased scrutiny of foreign nationals in the U.S. This has been accompanied by several cases involving foreign nationals who have been charged for smuggling U.S. military equipment or sensitive data to adversarial states like China and North Korea. These incidents have fueled a narrative of heightened security threats from China, as reported by various U.S. media outlets and government agencies.
The two cases—Han’s smuggling of biological materials and Wen’s shipment of military equipment to North Korea—appear to be part of a growing pattern of illicit activities involving individuals connected to China and its allies. This has raised questions about the adequacy of current U.S. immigration and customs enforcement mechanisms, as well as the overall security implications of allowing foreign nationals to work in critical research and academic institutions in the U.S.
As both cases progress through the legal system, they are expected to serve as significant examples in the ongoing discussions about U.S. national security and foreign intelligence operations. The U.S. government, alongside law enforcement agencies, has emphasized the need for continued vigilance in detecting and preventing the illegal transfer of sensitive materials, especially those involving potential biological and military risks.