Chinese Academics Charged in Smuggling Investigation
A number of Chinese scholars are confronting federal charges connected to the smuggling of hazardous biological materials into the U.S., with links to the University of Michigan. This follows a criminal complaint that was made public on Wednesday.
Among those charged are Xu Bai, 28, and Fengfan Zhang, 27, who face accusations of conspiring to smuggle biological substances. In a somewhat related charge, Zhiyong Zhang, 30, has been accused of providing false information to federal authorities.
All three individuals were in the U.S. on J-1 visas associated with the University of Michigan. It’s worth noting that the J-1 visa is predominantly granted to professors, researchers, and students.
The complaint indicates that from 2024 to 2025, Bai and F. Zhang received several packages containing covert biological materials linked to roundworms, shipped from China by 28-year-old Chengxuan Han.
Han was detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers after an inspection at Detroit Metro Airport in June. Investigators later found that she had dispatched four packages with hidden biological materials to people connected to a university lab.
Han has since pleaded no contest to multiple charges, including smuggling and providing false statements. Following this, she was required to return to China and left the U.S. in September.
During the customs inspection, Z. Zhang reportedly made misleading statements regarding Han, while Bai and F. Zhang acknowledged receiving packages from her.
Before Han’s arrest in June, two other Chinese researchers, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, were implicated in a conspiracy. They faced charges related to smuggling and visa fraud, concerning the entry of a fungus known as Fusarium graminearum into the U.S., which is regarded in scientific circles as a potential threat to agriculture.
The Attorney General, Pam Bondi, emphasized that the Department of Justice will not tolerate foreign nationals exploiting the hospitality of the United States.
The Department of Justice also announced that an internal investigation at the university into the Sean Hsu lab has been initiated following Han’s departure. However, the university has not provided a comment regarding whether any new policies or enhanced screening measures have been established to avoid similar incidents in the future.
