Last Sunday, the FBI arrested another Chinese citizen in Detroit for smuggling dangerous biological material into the United States
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Last Sunday, June 8, Chengxuan Han, a Chinese citizen and doctoral student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, was arrested by the FBI at Detroit Metropolitan Airport upon her arrival from Shanghai. Han faces charges of smuggling biological materials into the United States and of lying to federal authorities.
According to court documents, Han had previously sent four packages from China containing biological materials related to nematodes (roundworms) to individuals connected to a laboratory at the University of Michigan.
U.S. law requires strict permits for importing this type of material for scientific research purposes. Nevertheless, Han did not properly declare the contents of the packages and, when questioned by border authorities, lied about their contents, claiming they were plastic cups instead of Petri dishes.
Additionally, investigators discovered that Han deleted information from her electronic device three days before arriving in the United States, which raised further suspicions about her conduct. In a subsequent interview with agents from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI), Han admitted to sending the packages and lying about their contents.
El FBI arrestó a Chengxuan en el aeropuerto de Detroit
Han's case is the third in a recent series of arrests of Chinese citizens involved in attempts to smuggle biological materials into the United States.
Days earlier, two other Chinese scientists, Yunqing Jian and her partner Zunyong Liu, were charged with attempting to illegally bring in a dangerous strain of fungus that attacks agricultural crops. Jian, who worked in a laboratory at the University of Michigan and had ties to the Chinese Communist Party, was detained for what was described as "an attack on the U.S. food supply."
U.S. authorities, led by the FBI, Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and ICE, have intensified controls and surveillance over biological imports, especially when there are links to scientific institutions in China.
La semana pasada dos chinos fueron arrestados por introducir una peligrosa cepa de hongo que destruye cultivos
The main concern is that these acts not only violate biosafety regulations but may also pose threats to national security and the integrity of research centers in the United States.
A special agent from the FBI in Detroit stated that this type of smuggling "seriously compromises public safety and the integrity of our academic institutions." He added that the FBI will deploy all available resources to protect the country against these threats.
It is worth noting that Han had already been denied a visa on two previous occasions, in March, due to her inability to answer basic questions about her research. Despite this, she had an invitation letter as a visiting researcher from the University of Michigan.
El director del FBI, Kash Patel, confirmó que se lleva a cabo un esfuerzo para frustrar intentos del PCC para comprometer la seguridad nacional
The mere attempt to bring in this kind of material without the proper permits violates strict regulations designed to protect public health and national biosafety. According to John Nowak, a CBP (Customs Office) official, this type of action "undermines the legitimate work of other researchers."
Chengxuan Han remains in custody awaiting a bail hearing scheduled for the Wednesday following her arrest. The case is ongoing and is part of a broader effort by the U.S. government to counter attempts by the Chinese Communist Party to influence or compromise key institutions in the country.
