Chengxuan Han, a PhD student from Wuhan, was arrested for allegedly smuggling biological materials and making false statements to United States Customs officials. Han allegedly sent four packages containing concealed roundworm-related biological material to a University of Michigan laboratory in 2024-2025. On the same day that Han was arrested, another Chinese national, Shenghua Wen, pleaded guilty to exporting firearms and military technology to North Korea.
Pattern of Biosmuggling Raises Alarm
Chengxuan Han, enrolled at the College of Life Science and Technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, China, is the latest Chinese researcher caught in an expanding investigation into biological material smuggling. According to authorities, Han arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa when Customs and Border Protection officers discovered she had deleted content from her electronic devices just three days prior to her arrival, immediately raising suspicions about her activities.
This case follows closely on the heels of charges against two other Chinese nationals, Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend Zunyong Liu, who were accused last week of smuggling Fusarium graminearum, a dangerous crop pathogen capable of causing devastating agricultural diseases. Liu was caught with the pathogen hidden in his backpack at the same Detroit airport, initially denying knowledge before later admitting to intentional smuggling.
🚨 BREAKING: Chinese scientist Chengxuan Han busted at Detroit airport smuggling biological material from Wuhan. 4 packages of roundworm samples, mislabeled as "plastic cups," tied to U. Michigan lab. Denied lab links, but feds found deleted phone history & Wuhan Ph.D. work. 3rd… pic.twitter.com/Dpp3Ii5eLd
— Quincy Norton (@Bear_Battleborn) June 9, 2025
National Security Implications
Federal authorities have expressed grave concerns about these incidents, pointing to potential threats beyond academic misconduct. The involvement of researchers from sensitive institutions in China, particularly Wuhan, has intensified scrutiny. Both cases involve the University of Michigan, which has condemned the actions and denied having any Chinese government funding related to the accused researchers’ work.
“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China—to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory—is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security,”—U.S. “Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
The FBI Counterintelligence Division’s involvement underscores the national security dimensions of these cases. While the specific threat posed by the smuggled materials has not been fully detailed in public statements, authorities have emphasized that proper channels for importing biological materials exist but were deliberately circumvented in these instances.
#FBI #Detroit arrests a second #Chinese national on charges of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and lying to federal agents. Chengxuan Han, is a Ph.D. student in #Wuhan, #China, who sent four packages to the #US from China containing a biological material related to… pic.twitter.com/MjDjYejcfT
— IDU (@defencealerts) June 10, 2025
Parallel Threat: Weapons Technology Transfer
In a separate but equally concerning development, Chinese national Shenghua Wen pleaded guilty on the same day as Han’s arrest to charges related to exporting firearms and sensitive military technology to North Korea. Wen, who entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2012 and remained illegally after it expired, admitted to shipping at least three containers of firearms from California to China, which were then forwarded to North Korea in 2023.
According to court documents, Wen was operating under direct instructions from North Korean officials who wired him approximately $2 million to procure firearms, ammunition, and sensitive technology, including chemical threat identification devices and broadband receivers. He even purchased a firearms business in Houston using funds from his North Korean contacts and was planning another shipment of 60,000 rounds of ammunition when apprehended.
Diplomatic Tensions Escalate
The Chinese Consulate General in Chicago has responded to these arrests by expressing concern over U.S. law enforcement actions, claiming opposition to what they term “political manipulation” of the cases. This response comes as bilateral relations between the United States and China remain strained over multiple issues, including technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and national security concerns.
Han is scheduled to appear in federal court in Detroit to face charges that could result in significant prison time if convicted. Meanwhile, Wen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years for violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and an additional 10 years for acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, with sentencing set for August 18.
These cases highlight significant vulnerabilities in the systems governing international academic collaboration and the export control regime, raising serious questions about the balance between open scientific exchange and national security protections.