A Chinese national was arrested Sunday after arriving in the United States and is now facing federal charges related to smuggling biological materials and providing false statements to federal authorities. Chengxuan Han was taken into custody at Detroit Metropolitan Airport following her arrival on a flight from Shanghai.
According to court documents, Han is accused of sending biological materials linked to roundworm research from Wuhan, China, to recipients associated with a University of Michigan laboratory, reports the New York Post.
Federal agents allege that Han shipped four packages containing biological materials in 2024 and 2025. The shipments were addressed to individuals working at the Michigan-based lab. During questioning, Han denied any involvement in sending packages to lab personnel and claimed they contained plastic cups, not petri dishes.
Court filings stated that Han later admitted she had shipped the items, saying they originated from her doctoral research at the College of Life Science and Technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan. The investigation also revealed that Han had wiped her electronic devices just three days before entering the United States.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security opened an investigation after US Customs and Border Protection flagged the suspicious shipments. The incident marks the third recent case involving a Chinese scientist allegedly attempting to smuggle biological materials into Michigan.
“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by Chengxuan Han is a direct threat to public safety and national security, and it severely compromises the integrity of our nation’s research institutions,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The FBI in Michigan will aggressively pursue anyone who seeks to harm our country and will deploy every available resource to defend the United States and protect our communities.”
Federal officials did not publicly name the recipients of the shipments in Michigan. Wuhan, the city where Han’s university is located, was also the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Han is charged with smuggling goods into the US and making false statements to federal agents. She remains in federal custody pending court proceedings.
