❓WHAT HAPPENED: Three Chinese researchers were charged with conspiring to smuggle biological materials into the U.S., according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Xu Bai, Fengfan Zhang, and Zhiyong Zhang, all researchers at the University of Michigan, along with Chengxuan Han, a deported Chinese national.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The arrests were announced November 5. The alleged smuggling activities occurred in 2024 and 2025, involving the University of Michigan and shipments from China.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Allegedly attempting to smuggle biological materials under the guise of ‘research’ is a serious crime that threatens America’s national and agricultural security,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi.
🎯IMPACT: The case highlights vulnerabilities in foreign student programs and the need for enhanced security measures at educational institutions.
Three Chinese researchers at the University of Michigan have been charged with conspiring to smuggle biological materials into the United States, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. The defendants, 28-year-old Xu Bai, 27-year-old Fengfan Zhang, and 30-year-old Zhiyong Zhang, were all working in the university’s Shawn Xu (Xianzhong Xu) laboratory, which specializes in sensory biology. Federal officials described the case as part of a “long string of cases” involving Chinese nationals linked to the university.
“Allegedly attempting to smuggle biological materials under the guise of ‘research’ is a serious crime that threatens America’s national and agricultural security,” said Attorney General Pam Bondi. “We will remain vigilant to threats like these from foreign nationals who would take advantage of America’s generosity to advance a malicious agenda.”
According to court documents, the researchers, all J-1 visa holders, received concealed shipments of roundworm-related biological materials from a Chinese national, Chengxuan Han, who was previously deported after pleading no contest to smuggling and making false statements. The defendants were dismissed from their university positions after refusing to attend a mandatory meeting regarding the investigation. They were later apprehended by federal law enforcement while attempting to leave the country through Detroit and New York City. “At some point, pattern becomes practice. And, apparently, these three men are part of a long and alarming pattern of criminal activities committed by Chinese Nationals under the cover of the University of Michigan,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr.
The investigation involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons praised the agencies’ cooperation, stating, “This case underscores the vital importance of safeguarding the American people and addressing vulnerabilities within foreign student and exchange visitor programs. Educational institutions must enhance their admissions procedures to prevent exploitation, which can pose risks to national security, as demonstrated in this instance.”
The case follows several other recent incidents involving Chinese researchers and biological materials in the United States. Earlier this year, federal authorities charged another University of Michigan postdoctoral researcher and her partner with smuggling the toxic fungus Fusarium graminearum, which officials described as a potential agroterrorism weapon because of its ability to devastate crops such as wheat and corn.
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