Chinese Ph.D. student Chengxuan Han was arrested in Detroit for allegedly smuggling roundworm-related biological materials into the US and lying to federal agents.
He was a researcher at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan. Chengxuan was taken into custody by the FBI upon arrival at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8, 2025. Han faces charges of smuggling goods into the US and making false statements — both felony offences.
He is the 2nd Chinese national to get arrested on charges of smuggling biological materials into the US and lying to federal agents.
FBI director, Kash Patel said –
Yesterday, Detroit arrested a second Chinese national on charges of smuggling biological materials into the US and lying to federal agents,
Upon arriving at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8, Han allegedly made false statements to federal officials regarding the packages she had previously mailed — and had erased her electronic device just days prior,
In a follow-up interview, Han admitted to sending the packages and lying about their contents.
This case is part of a broader effort from the FBI and our federal partners to heavily crack down on similar pathogen smuggling operations, as the CCP works relentlessly to undermine America’s research institutions,
In light of recent arrests in Michigan, some of the experts fear that China may hit the US with something more than COVID-19. The Department of Justice describes Fusarium graminearum as harmful fungus causing “head blight” in wheat, barley, maize nd rice crops, resulting in annual global economic losses worth billions.
The substance poses risks to human health, potentially causing vomiting, liver damage and reproductive complication in humans and animals.