Three additional Chinese researchers at the University of Michigan have been charged as part of a widening federal investigation into the smuggling of undeclared biohazardous material from China into the United States.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has just announced the arrest of the three scientists who were caught entering the country with undeclared biological material.
Federal prosecutors announced that Bai Xu, Zhang Fengfan, and Zhang Zhiyong were charged in a criminal complaint in the Eastern District of Michigan.
Bai and Zhang Fengfan face conspiracy charges for allegedly smuggling biological materials, while Zhang Zhiyong is accused of making false statements to federal agents.
The three researchers were arrested at New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on October 16.
They were apprehended as they attempted to board a flight to flee to Communist China.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained them before departure.
Linked to Earlier Case
The charges are tied to the earlier arrest of Han Chengxuan, a scholar from China’s Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Han arrived in the United States in June under a J-1 visa and was detained immediately after customs officials discovered she had previously shipped petri dishes containing C. elegans under false declarations.
C. elegans is a regulated biological organism.
Han later pleaded no contest to three smuggling counts and lying to U.S. officials.
She was sentenced to time served and removed from the country on September 11.
Shipments Flagged
According to the criminal complaint, customs authorities intercepted multiple packages associated with Han and the three charged researchers.
Several shipments were falsely labeled as “plastic plates” or “doc” in an effort to hide their true contents.
However, investigators discovered:
- genetically modified C. elegans in petri dishes
- 28 plasmids—circular DNA molecules used in genetic engineering
- additional live biological samples
All of these qualify under U.S. regulations as biohazardous materials requiring proper declaration, permits, and handling protocols.
Federal officials say Bai refused to cooperate when questioned about an intercepted package last March.
Additional packages sent to “Dylan Zhang,” a false name believed to be Zhang Fengfan, contained more undeclared biological samples, including genetically modified organisms.
Zhang Zhiyong reportedly sent a mislabeled package containing nematodes to the University of Michigan as far back as 2019.
Non-Compliance and University Termination
After Han’s removal from the United States, the University of Michigan began an internal review.
Prosecutors say all three researchers “refused to participate” and were subsequently terminated.
Their J-1 visa records were canceled on October 8, making them ineligible to remain in the country.
Customs interviews conducted at JFK Airport on October 16 revealed that all three identified Han as a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Prosecutors also noted Han’s academic connections to senior figures at Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Broader Concerns About Biosecurity
The case comes amid heightened scrutiny of foreign nationals working in U.S. laboratories.
In recent months, multiple smuggling-related prosecutions have originated from the University of Michigan, including a case involving a researcher accused of attempting to import Fusarium graminearum, a fungus capable of destroying major grain crops.
Republican Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI), who chairs the House Select Committee on the CCP, said the latest charges reflect “an organized network of scholars engaged in illegal activity” tied to broader efforts by the Chinese government to obtain American research and technology.
“These new charges reveal an organized network of scholars engaged in illegal activity on Michigan’s campus,” Moolenaar warned..
“It is part of a broader, coordinated campaign targeting universities across the country, driven by China’s efforts to acquire American technology.”
In a statement this week, Attorney General Pam Bondi said:
“Attempting to smuggle biological materials under the guise of ‘research’ is a serious crime that threatens America’s national and agricultural security.
“We will remain vigilant to threats like these from foreign nationals who would take advantage of America’s generosity to advance a malicious agenda.”
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