Federal agents arrested a Chinese researcher from Wuhan over the weekend on charges of smuggling biological materials into the United States and lying to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during questioning at the Detroit airport.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Monday the arrest of Chanxuan Han, a PhD student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, who allegedly sent packages containing biological samples related to parasitic roundworms to a University of Michigan laboratory in 2024 and 2025.
According to the DOJ, Han admitted during interviews with FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents that she both shipped the materials from China and misled CBP officers about them upon entry into the U.S.
This incident follows the arrest of two other Chinese nationals last week, who were accused of smuggling a crop-destroying fungus—described by authorities as a “potential agroterrorism weapon”—for unauthorized research at the same university. Officials have not established a connection between the cases.
U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon of the Eastern District of Michigan said Han’s arrest points to larger national security concerns.
“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,” Gorgon stated. “The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”
Federal investigators say the materials Han shipped were tied to research on roundworms—a parasitic organism that can pose health and agricultural risks. While not considered an immediate national threat, the unapproved transfer of biological agents violates import laws and raises red flags amid ongoing tensions over U.S.-China research partnerships.
The case arrives amid a growing push in Washington to tighten oversight on collaborations between U.S. universities and Chinese institutions. In January, the University of Michigan announced it would end its partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University after pressure from Congress. The joint program had offered cross-campus engineering degrees but drew scrutiny from the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party over national security concerns.
University of Michigan President Santa Ono said at the time that while international ties have long benefitted students and researchers, the university must “prioritize our commitment to national security.”
While Han’s legal case is still developing, the incident adds to a string of recent episodes that suggest a widening effort by U.S. authorities to confront unauthorized foreign research activity on American soil.
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