On Friday (December 19), FBI Director Kash Patel announced that a Chinese postdoctoral researcher on a J-1 visa was charged with smuggling E. coli into the country and making false statements. Patel confirmed that the researcher involved is Youhuang Xiang but did not disclose the name of the university involved.
This incident marks another case of Chinese researchers being granted permission to work in American universities but getting involved in activities that circumvent U.S. laws, including receiving and concealing biological materials in packages from China, as stated by Patel in a social media post on Friday.
“If not properly controlled, E. coli and other biological materials could potentially cause devastating damage to American crops, resulting in significant economic losses,” he added.
Patel emphasized that the FBI does not tolerate any attempts to engage in illegal activities using U.S. institutions. He referenced a case in November 2024 involving three Chinese citizens who were charged with multiple counts of smuggling biological materials into the U.S. in Michigan.
“The FBI and its partners are committed to defending homeland security and preventing any illegal smuggling activities,” he stated.
In November 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice accused three Chinese scholars of conspiring to smuggle biological materials into the U.S. during their time working in university laboratories. Allegedly, they made false statements to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials to import materials related to roundworms from China.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated in a release that smuggling biological materials under the guise of “research” is a serious criminal offense that threatens U.S. national security and agricultural safety.
The suspects were identified as 28-year-old Xu Bai, 27-year-old Fengfan Zhang, and 30-year-old Zhiyong Zhang. All three were participating in academic exchange programs on J-1 visas.
These scholars conducted research in the laboratory of Professor Sean Xu at the University of Michigan, assisting a doctoral student from Wuhan, China, named Han Chengxuan in receiving multiple shipments of hidden biological materials related to roundworms in the U.S.
Han Chengxuan had previously worked at the university, convicted of smuggling and perjury charges, and subsequently deported.
On Friday, Patel also commended the work of the FBI’s Indianapolis and Chicago divisions and thanked the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He issued a warning to universities, urging them to be vigilant and ensure their researchers understand the correct and legal pathways to obtain approved permits for importing/exporting biological materials, emphasizing strict compliance with regulations without exception.