Chinese Ph.D. Student Pleads No Contest to Smuggling Biological Materials into U.S.
A second Chinese national, who is charged with smuggling in a toxic fungus that is considered a potential agroterrorism weapon, also remains under arrest.
In June, I reported that Chengxuan Han, a Chinese national and Ph.D. student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, was charged with smuggling biological material into the United States and making false statements to federal authorities. Han was apprehended upon arrival at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa after a flight from China.
Han has now pleaded no contest to the charges.
Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, pleaded no contest to three smuggling charges and to making false statements to U.S. Custom and Border Protection officers on Tuesday.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2025. A conviction for smuggling goods into the United States carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A conviction for making false statements carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison.
According to court documents, the packages were addressed to individuals associated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan.
On June 8, 2025, Han arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa. Customs and Border Protection officers conducted an inspection of Han, during which Han made false statements about the packages and the biological materials she had previously shipped to the United States.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan, investigators found evidence of her deleting data from her devices days prior to travel, and she admitted to sending the packages and to making false statements to officers.
According to court documents, Han is a citizen of the PRC who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. from the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, PRC. In 2024 and 2025, Han sent multiple packages to the United States from the PRC containing concealed biological material. These packages were addressed to individuals associated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan. On June 8, 2025, Han arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport on a J1 visa. C
ustoms and Border Protection officers conducted an inspection of Han, during which Han made false statements about the packages and the biological materials she had previously shipped to the United States. CBP officers also found that the content of Han’s electronic device had been deleted three days prior to her arrival in the United States. At the conclusion of the border inspection, Han was interviewed by agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and ICE HSI.
During this interview, Han admitted to sending the packages, admitted that the packages contained biological material related to round worms, and admitted to making false statements to the CBP officers during her inspection.
Legal Insurrection readers may recall that around the same time as Han’s arrest, Chinese national and U of M scholar Yunqing Jian was also arrested on charges related to the attempted smuggling of a hazardous biological pathogen into the United States.
Two Chinese scientists, Yunqing Jian and Chengxuan Han, are being held in Michigan on federal charges for smuggling biological materials, including a toxic crop fungus, into the US.
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Jian, 33, and her boyfriend Zunyong Liu, 34, are accused of conspiring to bring the fungus Fusarium graminearum (classified in scientific literature as a potential agroterrorism weapon) into the country supposedly for research purposes.
These charges are more serious. Jian also waived her right to a hearing on the same day (the boyfriend was sent back to China when he was not allowed entry into the US).
Two Chinese scientists accused of smuggling or shipping biological material into the United States for use at the University of Michigan will remain in custody after waiving their right to a hearing Friday in federal court.
Yunqing Jian and Chengxuan Han said in separate court appearances in Detroit that they would not challenge the government’s request to keep them locked up while their cases move forward.
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Comments
a faucci devotee
We need 599,000 more of them President Trump
Geez…
In light of things like this Trumps vow to import 600,000 more is baffling to say the least
Whoever it was who downvoted you should be deported.
Isn’t there a sanctuary city for these criminals? If not, Newsom could designate one and lock in the Chinese vote.
Firing squad.
Kudos to the customs and border folks for being attentive, thorough, and keeping track of the moving pieces and cast of characters over the time involved in this matter. Why the accused have elected to remain here pending trial rather than being deported immediately is an interesting question.
Interesting enough to put her in isolation.
Yes, yes… but *why*? What were they going to _do_ with the smuggled materials?
Did everyone forget about those secret Chinese labs they found in LA?
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/chinese-owned-illegal-bio-lab-uncovered-in-california-hidden-viruses-found/articleshow/105295740.cms
This is just the stuff we know about and wasn’t concealed by the FBI etc.
So, why? What were they doing? Gain of Function? Let it loose?
Why is China letting out its citizens?
Can any citizen leave free and clear?
No, not at all. These “students” are allowed to study abroad but are acting as smugglers, or coyotes, and, in this case, are involved in the illicit transportation of biological weapons.
Acts of war, plain and simple –
Alligator Alcatraz for life – publicize in Chinkland – maybe they’ll think twice before repeating.
Wonder if they chose to stay here as a sort of protective custody?
Sending a failed saboteur back to China might be a death sentence.