A Chinese national has been arrested, facing allegations of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and making false statements, as reported by the U.S. attorney’s office in eastern Michigan.
U.S. attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced the arrest of Chengxuan Han, a citizen of China.
According to the complaints, Han is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and is pursuing a Ph.D. It was noted that he sent four packages from the University of Michigan Institute located at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, PRC, directed to individuals at the University of Michigan, allegedly containing concealed biological materials intended for 2024 and 2025.
Details from the announcement:
On June 8, 2025, Han arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with a J1 visa. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) conducted inspections during which Han reportedly provided false information regarding the packages and biological materials previously sent to the U.S. Officials also discovered that the contents of Han’s electronics had been removed three days before his arrival. Following the customs inspection, Han was questioned by agents from the FBI and ICE HSI, where he admitted to sending the packages and acknowledged that they included biological materials related to roundworms. He also confessed to lying to CBP officers during their inspection.
The law office noted that these charges do not imply guilt, and decisions on pursuing felony charges will involve the FBI, CBP, ICE, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Cheyvoryea Gibson, a special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, stated that the FBI has “zero tolerance for anyone violating federal law and is committed to protecting Americans.”
U.S. attorney Gorgon expressed concern that the alleged smuggling is “part of a troubling pattern that poses a risk to our safety.”
FBI Director Kash Patel remarked that this incident represents yet another case of a Chinese national being accused of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and lying to federal agents.
Patel further mentioned that Han is the third individual connected to China facing similar accusations recently.
This situation aligns with ongoing worries regarding the large number of Chinese citizens entering the U.S. via the student visa program, which accommodates roughly half a million Chinese students annually.
The Trump administration has started addressing these issues, as evidenced by a recent decision to block foreign student admissions at Harvard University. Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem commented that the administration holds Harvard accountable for alleged promotion of violence, anti-Semitism, and collaborating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus.
