National Scholars, Michigan Laboratory Charged, Smuggle Biological Materials — Three Chinese National Scholars from University of Michigan Laboratory Charged for Conspiring to Smuggle Biological Materials into the U.S. | United States Justice Department.
Han recently pleaded no contest to three counts of smuggling and one count of false statements, was sentenced and then removed from the United States.After Han’s arrest and removal from the United States, UM initiated an internal investigation into the Shawn Xu laboratory. Wednesday, November 5, 2025 Share Facebook X LinkedIn Email For Immediate Release Office of Public Affairs Three research scholars from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were charged today in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to smuggle biological materials into the United States and for making false statements to
U.S. We are thankful for the vigilance of our elite federal partners—ICE HSI, FBI, and CBP—as a counterweight against this threat,” said United States Attorney Gorgon.Charged were Xu Bai, 28, Fengfan Zhang, 27 and Zhiyong Zhang, 30. Bai and F. Zhang were charged with conspiracy to smuggle biological materials into the United States and Z. I commend the ICE HSI agents and officers who work tirelessly to protect our nation and uphold the rule of law every day.”“These charges show the FBI and our partners will aggressively investigate and hold accountable those
who violate our laws, and that academic research cannot excuse illegal activity,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. The FBI and our partners are committed to defending the homeland and stopping any illegal smuggling into our country.”“ICE HSI remains steadfast in its mission to protect the homeland from malicious foreign actors,” said ICE HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Stentz. I commend the tireless efforts of our officers and federal partners in identifying and neutralizing these threats to ensure the safety and security of our great nation.”ICE HSI, the FBI, and CBP investigated this case