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Chinese bio-smuggling suspect cries in court over federal detention
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Two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling biological materials into the United States appeared in court Friday as federal authorities fight to keep them detained in cases they say concern “national security.”
University of Michigan post-doctoral research fellow Yunqing Jian and Huazhong University of Science and Technology student Chengxuan Han were ordered to remain in federal custody as their separate cases remain ongoing.
During the hearing, Han, who is accused of mailing packages containing biological materials to the University of Michigan’s laboratory, became visibly emotional and was seen choking back tears when she learned her preliminary hearing had been pushed to a later date.
In her brief detention hearing Friday, Han’s attorney said her client is consenting to detention without prejudice and will remain in federal custody.
CCP LOYALIST SHOULD BE SENT TO GITMO AFTER ARREST FOR ALLEGED PATHOGEN SMUGGLING, SAYS CHINA EXPERT
Chenqxan Han appears in federal court for a detention hearing in Michigan on Friday, Jun. 13, 2025. Han, a Chinese citizen, is accused of smuggling biological materials into the United States. (Carole Kabrin )
Yunqing Jian appears in a Michigan federal courtroom for a detention hearing on Friday, Jun. 13, 2025. Jian allegedly conspired with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, to transport a toxic crop-killing pathogen to the United States. (Carole Kabrin )
“Ms. Han is presumed innocent, and we will await further proceedings to comment any further,” her attorney previously said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
Han’s preliminary hearing was initially set for June 23, but was subsequently rescheduled for June 30. Both Han and Jian will remain in federal custody until their next hearings.
Jian and her boyfriend, Chinese researcher Zunyong Liu, were charged this month after they first attempted to transport Fusarium graminearum, a “potential agroterrorism weapon” that can inflict dangerous health effects on humans, into the country in August 2022, prosecutors said.
“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns,” interm U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan Jerome Gorgon said in a statement. “These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.”
Han was also arrested in June after allegedly mailing four packages containing undeclared biological material to individuals working in the University of Michigan’s laboratory from September 2024 to March 2025, according to the criminal complaint.
A Chinese student in the U.S. had a friend ship Fusarium graminearum to her in a textbook, according to the FBI. (FBI)
In the case of Jian and Liu, a WeChat conversation allegedly revealed the couple brainstorming ways to transport the substance, with Jian ultimately deciding to stash the bags in her shoes.
The fungus causes a “head blight,” described as a disease of wheat, maize, rice and barley, and is responsible for billions of dollars of economic losses throughout the world each year, according to the Department of Justice. If ingested by humans, the substance can cause vomiting, liver damage and “reproductive defects in humans and livestock.”
Friday’s detention hearing lasted approximately two minutes, with Jian appearing in an orange jumpsuit and handcuffed around the waist. A federal judge adjourned the hearing until next Friday due to Jian’s request to seek private counsel.
According to the criminal complaint, Jian initially received Chinese government funding for her work on the pathogen while studying at the University of Michigan and allegedly lied on her student visa application regarding her education plans in the U.S. Prosecutors allege Jian first attempted to smuggle the fungus into the U.S. in 2022, with one instance of her asking a third party to send her Fusarium graminearum in January 2024.
Jian’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
CHINESE OFFICIAL CLAIMS NO KNOWLEDGE OF FUNGUS SITUATION, SAYS CHINA REQUIRES CITIZENS ‘ABIDE BY LOCAL LAWS’
Baggies seized by Border Patrol containing the dangerous fungus Fusarium graminearum. (FBI)
“There are usually no problems,” Jian said in a message to the third person. “Rest assured. I have mailed these before.”
The most recent smuggling attempt allegedly occurred in July 2024, when Liu arrived at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport to visit Jian, according to authorities. Upon landing, Liu was flagged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and subsequently searched.
Authorities allegedly discovered “a wad of tissues crumpled up in a small pocket in Liu’s backpack,” according to the affidavit.
SUSPECTED CHINESE BIOTERRORISTS SMUGGLED KILLER AGENT INTO US IN BOOTS, OFFICIALS SAY
“The tissues concealed a note in Chinese, a round piece of filter paper with a series of circles drawn on it, and four clear plastic baggies with small clumps of reddish plant material inside,” the affidavit said.
The filter paper was sent for testing by the FBI, which revealed it contained Fusarium graminearum, according to authorities. The plastic baggies also allegedly carried material that was contaminated by the fungus, authorities said.
“In addition, the laboratory identified 10 separate samples from the filter paper,” the affidavit said. “Each sample had a hand drawn circle around it, and each circle was labeled with a code containing letters and/or numbers. The sample labeled ‘06172’ was identified by the FBI laboratory to contain the DNA sequence for Fusarium graminearum.”
Liu allegedly denied carrying the pathogen, but later admitted to bringing it to the U.S. intentionally, officials said. He allegedly told authorities the pair planned to use the university’s laboratory to conduct research.
PATEL: CHINESE NATIONALS CHARGED WITH SMUGGLING ‘KNOWN AGROTERRORISM AGENT’ INTO US IS A ‘DIRECT THREAT’
Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu are charged with conspiracy, making false statements, visa fraud and smuggling goods into the U.S. (iStock)
“These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement.
Both Jian and Liu are charged with conspiracy, making false statements, visa fraud and smuggling goods into the U.S.
CHINESE STUDENT ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY SMUGGLING UNDECLARED BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS SEEN IN NEW MUGSHOT
“As one of the world’s leading public research institutions, the University of Michigan is dedicated to advancing knowledge, solving challenging problems and improving nearly every facet of the human experience,” the university previously said in a statement.
“We strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission. It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals. We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution.”
Han also made an appearance in federal court Friday. She is charged with smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital.
CHINESE PHD STUDENT FROM WUHAN ARRESTED SMUGGLING BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS AFTER DELETING ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE: DOJ
Chengxuan Han is facing federal charges in a smuggling case. (The Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities allege Han, a Ph.D. student at Wuhan’s College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, mailed four packages containing undeclared biological materials to staff members at the University of Michigan’s laboratory.
Han was arrested on Sunday while traveling to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Shanghai on a J1 visa. Upon her arrival, Han was searched by CBP officers, and subsequently confronted about the packages.
According to the criminal complaint, Han allegedly denied mailing the packages, but later admitted she had sent them after being pressed by authorities. Han initially told CBP officers the packages only contained plastic cups – not petri dishes – and a book, according to court documents.
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A package seized by CBP agents allegedly contained a plasmids biological sample mailed by Chengxuan Han. (Department of Justice)
Han allegedly confessed to sending the packages, which contained roundworm-related biomaterials, telling FBI and Homeland Security officials that she had initially lied to CBP agents. Officers also discovered Han’s electronic devices had been wiped of their content three days before her arrival in the U.S.
FORMER US ARMY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST SENTENCED FOR SELLING SENSITIVE DOCUMENTS TO CHINESE NATIONAL
A package seized by CBP agents allegedly contained eight Petri dishes containing biological materials mailed by Chengxuan Han. (Department of Justice)
“The alleged smuggling of biological materials by this alien from a science and technology university in Wuhan, China – to be used at a University of Michigan laboratory – is part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security,” Gorgon said in a statement. “The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”
Fox News’ Olivianna Calmes and Peter D’Abrosca contributed to this report.
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Detroit, MI
‘He went on an adventure’: Detroit bus driver, police praised for reuniting missing 9-year-old with family
DETROIT – April 10 was an adventurous day for 9-year-old Kyari Harris.
Harris, who goes by the nickname “King”, started his day at Nichols Elementary School on Detroit’s east side, and it ended at a McDonald’s in Lincoln Park.
It was the quick thinking of a DDOT bus driver and a group of Detroit police officers, who were honored on Thursday (April 30) morning by Mayor Mary Sheffield, that made sure he got back home.
“King got in trouble at school, and he knew he would be in trouble when he got home, so he just decided not to come home,” Mary Wynn, Harris’ mother, said on Thursday. “He went to what he would call his adventure.”
That “adventure” started that afternoon when he got off his normal school bus, cut through an alley, then hopped on a second DDOT bus that took him to the Rosa Parks Transportation Center in downtown Detroit.
“He’s never done this before,” Wynn said. “This is my only child. It was like a heart attack.”
“It was something kind of off on this, you know, I was just saying, like, why this kid is getting on my bus and by himself,” asked Thomas Burgan.
Burgan, who has driven for DDOT for six years, was driving the bus when he saw Harris board.
Surveillance footage from inside the bus shows Harris sitting in the back as the bus rolls along.
It starts to empty out as it heads to its last stop, where he spots Harris in the back, confused and holding a clear backpack.
That’s when word went over the radio to be on the lookout for a missing child.
“I said, ‘Man, that’s the kid,’” Burgan said. “He’s sitting in the back. I’m glad that he stayed on the bus until the end.”
Burgan can be seen asking Harris where he’s going. He quickly exits the bus and starts walking toward the nearby McDonald’s.
The bus cameras, along with Burgan’s cell phone, captured him walking away.
“When I took that last picture, I got back on the bus, and I called it in,” Burgan said. “I said, ‘Hey, this is the kid.’”
Harris eventually stopped at McDonald’s, where he was quickly arrested by police and returned to his mother.
While she was not happy about his little adventure, she was thankful to have him back.
“Thank God he was hungry, because if he wasn’t, there’s no telling how far, how much further he would have gone,” Wynn said. “I’m grateful for [Burgan]. I’m grateful that there were cameras on the bus.
“I never paid attention to the fact that there’s cameras on the bus,” Wynn added. “I thank the bus driver for going over and beyond.”
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee food truck operators are fearing for their livelihoods after city leaders voted to limit their hours of operation in the name of public safety.
The Common Council unanimously passed a rule that will force food trucks downtown to close by 10 p.m.
It goes into effect May 9. Aldermen argue it will help prevent people from gathering after bars close.
Food truck owners showed up at City Hall on Thursday morning to say they’re not the problem.
Abdallah Ismail runs the Fatty Patty food truck. He said closing his truck at 10 p.m. will be devastating for his business.
“Most of our sales happen during that time,” said Ismail. “It’s the core of our business at 10 p.m. We need the city to let us talk. We need them to listen to us and find a better solution for us if they can.”
Ismail confronted Ald. Robert Bauman at the city hall demonstration.
Bauman represents downtown, and he said the curfew was put in place at the request of the Milwaukee Police.
He also said the police department believes late-night gatherings at food trucks are a contributing factor to the downtown violence.
Bauman said safety is a top priority.
“If the causation issue is correct that they are a part of the problem then we need to act and if there is collateral damage, that’s unfortunate,” said Bauman. “We regret that but the bigger issue here is economic viability of an entire downtown.”
Ismail said the curfew is unnecessary. He said that’s because the food truck operators have always been willing to cooperate with the police.
“When the police came to us and say close it because there is a problem, we close right away even if it’s a busy day, even if we have a line of people,” said Ismail. “We are already helping the city.”
Bauman said the curfew will move forward as planned, and if it doesn’t work, the Common Council could reconsider the measure.
In the meantime, the food truck operators just hope they can protect their financial livelihood.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed the second attempt by the Minneapolis City Council to give tenants more time to pay rent in the aftermath of Operation Metro Surge, which has pushed immigrant families into housing instability.
Currently, housing providers are required to give renters in Minneapolis 30 days to come up with money to pay their rent before filing an eviction case against them, which is called a pre-eviction notice period. The City Council voted last week to increase that timeframe to 45 days through the end of August.
During the federal operation, many immigrants sheltered at home and did not go to work because they feared being detained by federal immigration agents. As a result, many are struggling to pay rent. Supporters of the ordinance said the measure will give renters more time to access rental assistance, mutual aid or another paycheck to avoid an eviction case in court.
Other council members, housing providers, and Frey have voiced concern that giving residents more time to pay rent will push them into more debt. In his veto letter on Thursday, Frey wrote that rental assistance is the best solution to support renters.
“The City of Minneapolis has a longer pre-eviction notice period than most cities in the country,” Frey wrote in his veto letter. “I am not convinced that more time will result in improved outcomes.”
The city has allocated $3.8 million in emergency funds, and the Wilson Foundation agreed to match another $3 million.
Rental assistance at the state level to help immigrant renters due to the surge has stalled at the Legislature. A bill that would allocate $40 million in rental assistance passed the Senate, but is unlikely to pass a divided House.
“This would have been a tremendous relief for all families, as we would have more time to apply for rental assistance without facing the threat of eviction,” said Alibella Rodriguez, a member of Inquilinxs Unidxs por Justicia (United Renters for Justice) in a statement. “Instead, the Mayor’s veto is a terrible blow to all families, leaving us vulnerable to losing our homes through eviction — homes that served as the greatest refuge we had during the occupation.”
The 45-day pre-eviction notice period ordinance passed with a 8-5 vote. Nine votes are needed to override a mayoral veto. The council will likely vote on overriding the veto at their next meeting on May 7.
This is not the first time the council has tried to extend the pre-eviction notice period.
Last month, Frey vetoed the council’s vote to increase the pre-eviction notice period from 30 to 60 days. The council failed to override that vote. Council members brought forward an ordinance with a shorter time period hoping it would gain more support.
“We’re looking at a mere 15 days,” Council Member Aurin Chowdhury said at a news conference last week. “We changed the policy, we compromised, and it was so consequential, it was worthy of us taking up another cycle to bring it back.”
The St. Paul City Council unanimously approved temporarily extending the city’s pre-eviction notice period to 60 days last month.
According to data from the tenant advocacy group Home Line, eviction filings in Minneapolis increased by 3.4% in the first quarter of the year compared to the average between 2023 and 2025. Housing advocates have said that mutual aid efforts have likely helped keep many renters in their homes for now.
The city will be rolling out more than $6 million in rental assistance to help those affected by the surge. Information about how to access the Minneapolis specific funding can be found here. The Minneapolis funding does not require an eviction case to be filed against the tenant already. Funding is also available through Hennepin County, but an eviction case is required.
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