Arrested Chinese PhD Student from Wuhan Accused of Illegally Transporting Biological Substances, Following Deletion of Digital Evidence: Department of Justice

Arrested Chinese PhD Student from Wuhan Accused of Illegally Transporting Biological Substances, Following Deletion of Digital Evidence: Department of Justice

Freaky Friday: Unraveling the Alleged Espionage Shenanigans of Chinese Nationals in the U.S.

our website's shaking political analyst, Bret Baier, delves into a series of eyebrow-raising cases involving Chinese nationals accused of espionage in the United States on 'Special Report.'

A Chinese national doing the dirty on the People's Republic of China (PRC) has been cuffed after allegedly sneaking dangerous bio materials into the U.S. and dishonestly relaying details about the package contents to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.

The Department of Justice claims Chengxuan Han is the perpetrator, charging her with smuggling goods into the U.S. and spinning a web of falsehoods.

According to the complaint, Han, a PRC citizen pursuing a Ph.D. at the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, allegedly shipped four packages to the U.S. from the PRC in 2024 and 2025, concealing dangerous biological material within. These packages were destined for individuals at a laboratory at the University of Michigan.

*'COMING FOR US': EXPERT CAUTIONS AGAINST CCP'S MISSION TO 'WAKE DEAD' AMERICANS AFTER FBI CRACKDOWN*

A grim reminder of the threats China poses to our security, Han's arrest is part of an escalating pattern that endangers us all.

Upon landing at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Sunday with a J1 visa, CBP officers conducted a routine examination. During the inspection, Han reportedly spun a yarn about the packages and the secretive items she had previously shipped to the U.S. Agents also discovered that Han had cleansed her electronic device three days prior to arriving in the U.S.

After the search, the FBI and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents interviewed Han. According to their account, Han allegedly fessed up to sending the packages and revealed they contained research material related to roundworms. Han also confessed to fibbing to CBP officers during the inspection.

"The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this individual from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China—to be used at a prestigious public institution in the U.S.—is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security," said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. "The American taxpayer should not be subsidizing a PRC smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions."

*CHINESE OFFICIAL CLAIMS NO KNOWLEDGE OF FUNGUS SITUATION, ADMONISHES CITIZENS 'TO OBEY LOCAL LAWS'*

This is far from the first instance where a Chinese national has been caught conducting illicit activities on U.S. soil.

On the very same day, 42-year-old Shenghua Wen pleaded guilty to federal misdeeds after he exported firearms, ammunition, and other military items to North Korea, as requested by North Korean government officials.

Wen, a PRC citizen who had been studying in the U.S. since 2012, overstayed his visa, remaining in the country even after its expiration in December 2013. Prior to arrival, the Department of Justice revealed, Wen met with North Korean government officials at a North Korean Embassy in China. During the meeting, the officials directed Wen to acquire goods on North Korea's behalf.

Wen then contacted North Korean officials in 2022 via an online messaging platform, responding to yet another request to purchase and smuggle firearms, sensitive technology, and ammunition to North Korea via China.

The Department of Justice reports that Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms from the Port of Long Beach in California to China, which then made their way to North Korea.

*CHINESE NATIONAL FOUND GUILTY OF SELLING MILITARY-GRADE EQUIPMENT TO NORTH KOREA*

Determined to disrupt our weaponry and threaten our safety, Wen also purchased a firearms business in Houston, Texas, using North Korean funds. By December 2023, one of his shipments had left the Port of Long Beach and reached Hong Kong in January 2024. From Hong Kong, the shipment was transported to North Korea.

Wen, conspirator extraordinaire, intended to send another shipment to North Korea containing approximately 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition in September, as per the instructions of North Korean officials.

Despite the gravity of his actions, Wen ultimately admitted that he knew he was breaking the law by shipping the items to North Korea without the required authorizations and licenses.

*A SUBSTANTIAL THREAT: U.S. SEES AN INCREASE IN ALLEGED CHINESE ESPIONAGE ATTACKS*

The FBI, our nation's top law enforcement agency, has its work cut out for them. Recently, they have been busy shutting down Chinese nationals involved in suspected espionage activities on American soil. From the University of Michigan to the realm of cybercrime, these arrests serve as a grim reminder of the constant threat China poses to our security and freedom.

Enrichment Data:

Recent allegations of Chinese nationals involved in the smuggling of biological or hazardous materials into the United States have resulted in several high-profile cases, with significant attention on two figures: Shenghua Wen (as part of related incidents at the University of Michigan), and more recently, Chengxuan Han.

Chengxuan Han Incident

Background and Arrest- Date of Arrest: June 8, 2025 (detained at Detroit airport)[2][4].- Identity: Chengxuan Han is a doctoral student at a university in Wuhan, China[2][5].- Charges: She is accused of smuggling "concealed biological material"—specifically, organisms in petri dishes and toxic parasites—into the United States. Four separate shipments were sent to individuals associated with the University of Michigan in 2024 and 2025[2][1].- Deceptive Behavior: Han initially lied to border officers, claiming the packages contained plastic cups instead of petri dishes. She later admitted to making false statements and stated the materials were related to roundworms[2].- Device Tampering: Authorities noted that the contents of her electronic devices were deleted three days before her arrival in the U.S.[2].

Shenghua Wen (Contextual Note)

While your query mentions Shenghua Wen, current high-profile coverage focuses on Chengxuan Han. Available reporting does not detail a specific case for Shenghua Wen in the context of recent or high-profile biological smuggling or espionage at the University of Michigan. The Department of Justice has previously investigated and prosecuted other Chinese researchers at U.S. universities for related offenses, but no recent, detailed case matching the same level of publicity or specificity as Han’s is present in the cited materials.

Broader Context

Recent arrests like that of Chengxuan Han are part of a broader pattern of U.S. authorities accusing Chinese nationals—often researchers or students—of smuggling biological material or violating export controls. In the last week leading up to Han’s arrest, two other Chinese nationals had been detained for allegedly smuggling potentially hazardous materials to the same university, highlighting increasing scrutiny in this area[2].

Summary Table

| Individual | Role/Background | Date of Incident | Alleged Offense | Notes/Details ||------------|-----------------|------------------|---------------|----------------||Chengxuan Han| Doctoral student, Wuhan| June 8, 2025| Smuggling biological material (roundworms, etc.)| Lied to officials; device data deleted before trip[2][5] || Shenghua Wen | (Not detailed in reports) | (Unspecified) | (Not specified) | (No recent high-profile case found) |

1. The alleged espionage shenanigans of Chinese nationals in the United States continue to make breaking news, as seen in the case of Chengxuan Han, a Ph.D. student, who was recently arrested for smuggling dangerous biological materials into the U.S. from Wuhan, China.
2. Technology and education-and-self-development domains are not immune to the influence of politics, as demonstrated by Han's case, where she was pursuing her studies at the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan.
3. The trend of using illicit activities for political gains is concerning, as shown by the case of Shenghua Wen, who pleaded guilty to federal misdeeds after exporting firearms, ammunition, and other military items to North Korea at the behest of North Korean government officials.
4. Corruption and crime-and-justice issues are increasingly intertwined with matters of politics and general-news importance, as evidenced by Wen's actions that threatened the national security of the United States by supplying North Korea with weapons and military-grade equipment.

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