Chinese national from Wuhan sentenced in Michigan for smuggling biological materials to US

Federal officials announced Monday that a Chinese citizen studying in Wuhan has been sentenced to time served after admitting to smuggling biological materials into the United States and lying to border officers.

Chengxuan Han, a doctoral student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, received a three-month sentence, equal to the time she had already spent in custody. She pleaded guilty to three smuggling counts and to making false statements to US Customs and Border Protection.

Authorities said in a DOJ post that between 2024 and 2025 Han shipped packages from China to individuals linked to a laboratory at the University of Michigan. The shipments concealed biological material related to roundworms.

When Han entered Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8, 2025, on a J1 visa, Customs officers questioned her about the shipments. Court documents show she denied involvement and failed to disclose details. Officials also discovered her electronic device had been wiped three days earlier.

Following the inspection, Han admitted during an interview with the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations that she had sent the packages and misled border agents.

US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said, “It is a privilege to study at one of our elite institutions. Aliens should not be abusing our hospitality by smuggling unknown biomaterials into America and then lying about it.”

Reuben Coleman, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit office, said the case shows the bureau’s “unwavering commitment to protecting Americans from individuals who attempt to illegally import biological materials into our country.”

Customs official Marty C. Raybon said Han will be deported and barred from re-entry, while ICE HSI’s Matthew Stentz said the prosecution underscored the need for interagency cooperation to counter biological smuggling threats.