A Chinese national was arrested over the weekend at Detroit Metropolitan Airport for allegedly smuggling biological material and making false statements to federal authorities, the FBI announced on Sunday. The accused, identified as Chengxuan Han, became the second Chinese national detained in recent days over similar charges.
According to a federal court filing, Han, a Ph.D. student from Wuhan, China, was taken into custody at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8 while entering the country. The FBI alleges that months prior, Han had shipped four packages containing biological substances associated with roundworms to individuals affiliated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan—without securing the required government permits.
The FBI described the material as sensitive and subject to regulatory control. In a social media post on X, FBI Detroit Director Kash Patel confirmed Han’s arrest, stating: “FBI Detroit arrested a second Chinese national on charges of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and lying to federal agents.”
Yesterday, @FBIDetroit arrested a second Chinese national on charges of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and lying to federal agents.
This individual is Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China and a Ph.D. student in Wuhan, China. Han is the third… pic.twitter.com/TE4tJgtJQi
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) June 9, 2025
Patel emphasized that Han had erased her electronic device just days before arriving in the U.S., and later misled customs and border agents about the contents of the packages. During a subsequent interview with FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Han reportedly confessed to both sending the biological shipments and concealing their nature.
“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,” Patel wrote.
Han reportedly admitted during a follow-up interrogation with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that she had sent the packages from China and concealed their true nature in customs declarations.
Han is the third individual with links to the People’s Republic of China to face charges related to illegal biological material in the U.S. within a short span, underscoring mounting concerns over potential covert attempts to access or exploit American research infrastructure.
