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3w ago

Chinese PhD Student Charged in Third Biological Smuggling Case at Michigan Lab

This arrest underscores a widening federal investigation into unpermitted imports of regulated pathogens after charges against two other researchers.

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The University Of Michigan North Campus signage at the University Of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan on July 30, 2019.
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Overview

  • Chengxuan Han, a Ph.D. candidate at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, is charged with smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements after allegedly attempting to import roundworm-related biological samples without a permit.
  • She remains in federal custody pending a June bond hearing in Detroit.
  • Federal court documents allege Han sent four concealed packages containing biological material to a University of Michigan laboratory between September 2024 and March 2025.
  • Customs officers discovered that Han wiped her electronic device shortly before departure, and she later admitted in an FBI interview to lying about the contents of the shipments.
  • Han’s arrest marks the third recent case involving Chinese nationals tied to the University of Michigan charged with unpermitted pathogen smuggling, prompting a joint investigation by DOJ, FBI, CBP and ICE HSI into broader national security risks.