Midwest
Chinese student arrested for allegedly smuggling undeclared biological materials seen in new mugshot
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Authorities have released a mugshot of the Chinese national accused of smuggling undeclared biological material into the United States.
Chengxuan Han was initially scheduled to appear in federal court Wednesday to face charges of smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. However, her detention hearing was cut short after her court-appointed attorney requested more time due to “some additional matters pertinent to the issue of bond.”
Han is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Ph.D. student at Wuhan’s College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Han is the third Chinese national arrested this month for allegedly smuggling items into the U.S. University of Michigan post-doctoral research fellow Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, were arrested after allegedly bringing an “agroterrorism agent” into the U.S. to study at a University of Michigan laboratory.
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Chengxuan Han is facing federal charges after her detention hearing was postponed at her attorney’s request. (The Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office)
From September 2024 to March 2025, authorities allege Han mailed four packages containing undeclared biological material to individuals working in the University of Michigan’s laboratory, according to the criminal complaint.
On Sunday, Han traveled to the Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Shanghai on a J1 visa and was subjected to an inspection by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers.
During the search, Han allegedly told officers she did not mail packages to the laboratory, before eventually admitting she had sent them when pressed by authorities. Han initially told CBP officers the packages 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 eight Petri dishes containing biological materials mailed by Chengxuan Han. (Department of Justice)
“Biological samples, such as plasmids, are often placed within a book and manifested only as a book for shipment, as a means of concealment from U.S. Customs,” the complaint said.
Han’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Upon being confronted by officials, Han allegedly confessed to sending packages containing roundworm-related biomaterials. CBP officers also discovered the content on Han’s electronic devices had been deleted three days before she arrived in the U.S.
Following the inspection, the FBI and Homeland Security officials spoke with Han. During the conversation, Han allegedly admitted to previously making false statements to CBP officers and acknowledged she sent the packages.
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A package seized by CBP agents allegedly contained a handwritten note containing labels consistent with biological materials mailed by Chengxuan Han. (Department of Justice)
A package seized by CBP agents allegedly contained a plasmids biological sample mailed by Chengxuan Han. (Department of Justice)
“The FBI has zero tolerance for those who violate federal law and remains unwavering in our mission to protect the American people,” Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said in a statement. “The alleged smuggling of biological materials by Chengxuan Han is a direct threat to public safety and national security, and it severely compromises the integrity of our nation’s research institutions.”
The FBI did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
“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,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon said in a statement. “The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions.”
Han is scheduled to appear in court for a detention hearing on June 13.
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Han’s arrest came one day before 42-year-old Shenghua Wen pleaded guilty to federal charges after authorities revealed he spent years exporting ammunition, firearms and other military items to North Korea, in coordination with North Korean government officials.
Wen, a Chinese citizen, came to the U.S. in 2012 and remained in the country illegally despite his student visa expiring the following year.
Prior to moving to the U.S., Wen met with officials from North Korea’s government at the country’s embassy in China, where he was directed to obtain the items on behalf of North Korea.
Nearly 10 years later, North Korean government officials directed Wen via an online messaging app to procure firearms and sensitive technology to be smuggled to North Korea through China.
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Devices seized from Wen’s home. (Justice Department)
In 2023, Wen shipped at least three containers of firearms from a California port to China, with North Korea as the ultimate destination, by filing false export information to conceal the contents of the containers.
Wen used money from a North Korean contact to purchase many of the firearms in Texas before driving them back to California to be shipped, according to the DOJ.
By December 2023, one of the shipments departed the Port of Long Beach and arrived in Hong Kong one month later, with it eventually arriving in North Korea.
Wen also obtained sensitive technology to send to North Korea, according to prosecutors. The technology consisted of a handheld broadband receiver that detects known, unknown, illegal, disruptive or interfering transmissions and a chemical threat identification device.
He also looked to acquire a civilian airplane engine and thermal imaging system to be mounted on a drone or aircraft for target identification.
The entire scheme cost North Korean officials approximately $2 million in wire transfers to Wen, with the funds being used to procure firearms and other goods for the government.
Wen faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison for both charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 18.
Fox News’ Patrick McGovern, Greg Wehner and Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
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Detroit, MI
Detroit’s Inbolt Launches Vision-enabled Robot Programming
Inbolt, the Detroit-based robot intelligence company, is launching two new capabilities that complete the company’s AI vision model for robot guidance: Inbolt Robot Programming and an expanded Inbolt Robot Control.
Both technologies will debut at the Automate 2026 trade show at Chicago’s McCormick Place from June 22-25.
“Robot deployment still takes weeks because the digital twin never matches the real factory floor, engineers hand-tune every trajectory during commissioning,” says Rudy Cohen, co-founder and CEO of Inbolt. “With Robot Programming, the Vision Model, and Robot Control on a single platform, that gap closes.
“Engineers build the program from the CAD, our vision model locates the real part, and the robot executes the planned path. One platform from perception to motion, on the robots manufacturers already own. That’s AI perception built for the factory floor.”
With Robot Programming and Robot Control, Inbolt says it covers the full path from virtual commissioning to adaptive robot motion control, for stationary and moving-line applications.
Until now, the company says, deploying a robot on a factory floor took weeks as engineers carefully build digital twins of the production line, then spent the commissioning window touching up trajectories point by point because the virtual environment never fully matches reality. If the robot is anchored 2mm off, or parts arrive in unrepeatable positions, every path gets re-taught and tuned by hand.
With the latest release of Inbolt Robot Programming, the programming capability inside Inbolt Studio removes that step entirely. Engineers build the program directly on the CAD model, in the part’s own reference frame. At runtime, the Inbolt Vision Model locates the real part and adjusts the robot’s motion to execute the planned path exactly.
“No teach pendant. No iterative tuning. No separate workflow for moving lines,” says Cohen. “Weeks of commissioning now works in one shot. The digital twin and the factory floor are the same thing.”
The CAD-based release is available for FANUC, Universal Robots, and Yaskawa on dynamic (moving line) applications, with broader brand coverage on the roadmap. Two of Inbolt’s four Automate 2026 booth demonstrations will run it live, so visitors can watch the system go from CAD to executable robot motion in front of them.
“Automate in Chicago is where we plant our flag in the U.S.,” says Albane Dersy, co-founder and COO of Inbolt. “Four live demos, two product launches, a deep integration with FANUC and NVIDIA on the show floor, and a panel on the future of physical AI. Our U.S. footprint has expanded across Stellantis, GM, and Toyota plants this year, our team has doubled, and the U.S. contingent doubles again by year-end.”
Inbolt’s second product release is an expansion of Robot Control, the real-time robot motion execution component of the platform, now running natively on Yaskawa, joining FANUC, KUKA, ABB, Universal Robots, and Comau.
Robot Control streams corrected joint commands directly into the robot’s servo loop at native control frequency, closing the loop between what the vision model sees and how the robot moves. The Yaskawa expansion brings Inbolt’s native robot brand coverage to six, giving manufacturers a single intelligence layer for real-time execution across the brands they already own.
Inbolt also has released updates to the Inbolt Vision Model with improved global part localization models. The model now tracks a wider variety of parts, and the Inbolt Studio dashboard exposes part position, detection status, and live performance tests for each use case. Robotics engineers can troubleshoot and evaluate Inbolt’s performance on their specific station inside Inbolt Studio.
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Common Council hearing on public safety Monday
MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee Common Council Steering & Rules Committee will hold a public hearing on Monday afternoon, June 8, to discuss ongoing crime and safety concerns.
This comes on the heels of an apparent street takeover on Milwaukee’s south side on Sunday night, June 7.
South Side safety
What we know:
Back in April, community leaders and residents on Milwaukee’s south side said crime concerns have left many feeling unsafe, prompting a new effort to address the issue.
Common Ground, a coalition of community members and leaders, launched a South Side Safety Plan after six months of research into crime in the area.
The plan outlines five focus areas: accountability, proactive neighborhoods, police relationships, policy reform and prevention. An action team on the south side is expected to help implement those strategies.
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Common Council President Jose Perez was among the leaders participating in that discussion. He told FOX6 News a public hearing would be held on June 8 to address public safety and what still needs improvement.
On the agenda for Monday’s meeting, Perez sponsored a communication file from Milwaukee police about part two crime data. We are expecting to hear about how the Milwaukee Police Department goes about collecting, assessing and reporting crime data.
“Something is going on that people aren’t reporting crime – and many times we can’t address things if we don’t know about them,” said Common Council President Jose Perez.
The meeting is set for 1:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Apparent street takeover
Dig deeper:
Monday’s meeting comes on the heels of an apparent street takeover on Milwaukee’s south side on Sunday night, June 7.
FOX6 News went to the scene near 13th and Mitchell, where a large crowd gathered – blocking the intersection and stopping traffic in all directions. There were cars speeding and doing donuts and motorcycles swerving. Some cars had people on top of or hanging out of them while in motion.
Several Milwaukee police squads blocked off the area with lights activated as crime scene tape went up across different streets. The scene was active for hours, clearing just before 10 p.m.
Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota 4th of July fireworks: Where to watch
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – This year, the Fourth of July is on a Saturday as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of signing the Declaration of Independence.
It’s a time where we celebrate our freedom, get outside in the summer and check out some fireworks. If you want to go see a fireworks display this year, but aren’t sure where to go, here’s a list of some popular displays.
Fourth of July Fireworks displays
Minneapolis – Red, White & Boom
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is thrilled to bring back Red, White & BOOM! returns to the Mississippi Riverfront – bringing a full day of free programming, community celebration, and one of the most anticipated fireworks shows in the state.
With more than 50,000 attendees, this all-day event stretches from morning movement to late-night music, ending with fireworks over the river at 10 p.m.
On Saturday, July 4, fireworks will be on display between 8-10 p.m. at Water Works Park and along West River Parkway.
My St. Paul Fourth of July
Celebrate the holiday at the Fourth of July Parade in the St. Anthony Park Neighborhood. Kick things off with an early morning distance race. Enjoy the colorful parade at 11 a.m., then stake out a patch of grass starting to enjoy the program and live music at the Langford Park bandstand.
Edina Fourth of July
Sponsored by Explore Edina, Independence Day fireworks will be held near dusk July 4 at Rosland Park, 4300 W. 66th St. The First John Philip Sousa Memorial Band will perform at 8:30 p.m. The fireworks will follow.
Bemidji Fourth of July
The Annual Water Carnival is organized by the Bemidji Jaycees. A celebrated feature of this event is the Red, White & BOOM Firework Spectacular, which will illuminate the skies over Lake Bemidji on July 4 at dusk. For optimal viewing, head to the southern end of Lake Bemidji.
Excelsior Fourth of July
Celebrate Independence Day and enjoy the only public fireworks display over Lake Minnetonka. Explore downtown Excelsior, support local businesses, and find a spot in Commons Park or near the water to see the fireworks at dusk on July 4.
Lakeville Fourth of July
Enjoy this year’s fireworks display at dusk on July 4, which helps kick off the PAN-O-PROG (“Panorama of Progress”) festival.
Mankato Fourth of July
On July 4, view the Red, Hot & Boom fireworks display from the Minnesota State University Mankato Athletic Fields (191 Stadium Road). Fireworks will begin around 10 p.m. Choreographed music can be heard on FM stations 93.1 (KATO), 94.1 (KXLP) and 96.7 (KDOG).
Pequot Lakes Fourth of July
The Stars and Stripes Days fireworks display will be held July 3 at dusk at Pequot Lakes High School practice field. Great viewing locations include Trailside Parks, Pequot Lakes School, and the TDS parking lot.
Shakopee – Canterbury Park
Canterbury Park hosts a family-friendly celebration on July 3, featuring live racing, music, face painting, pony rides, and more. Following the races, a spectacular fireworks display will begin at 10 p.m., viewable from the outdoor seating area.
Lake Waconia Fourth of July
The Lake Waconia Fireworks Festival, a cherished July 4 tradition, begins. Ideal viewing spots include Lake Waconia Regional Park, Lola’s Lakehouse, InTowne Marina, Sovereign Estate Winery, Vandy’s Grille, or on a boat out on the lake.
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