America’s national security is under siege—and this time, the threat comes from inside our own research labs and military supply chains. Federal authorities have uncovered multiple Chinese nationals smuggling biological agents into U.S. laboratories and funneling American firearms and sensitive military equipment to North Korea. The stunning revelations raise urgent alarms about the growing danger of foreign espionage operating within U.S. borders.
Wuhan Researcher Busted at University of Michigan
In the most recent arrest, Chengxuan Han, a PhD student from Wuhan, China, was taken into custody for illegally smuggling biological material into the U.S. while deliberately wiping her electronic devices to hide evidence. She allegedly shipped four packages of roundworm-related biological samples to a University of Michigan lab between 2024 and 2025.
Han entered the U.S. on a J1 visa and was intercepted at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, where agents found her story didn’t add up. Under FBI questioning, she confessed to the smuggling operation and lying to border officials, confirming fears that foreign actors are targeting America’s research institutions.
Pattern of Biotech Espionage in Michigan
Shockingly, Han is the third Chinese national caught smuggling biological agents through Michigan in just one week. Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend Zunyong Liu were previously arrested for smuggling Fusarium graminearum, a highly dangerous agricultural pathogen.
ICYMI: Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Acting at the Direction of North Korea to Export Firearms, Ammo, and Technology to North Korea
Learn more at the link: https://t.co/35IiV8743q pic.twitter.com/1qfhlLuktr
— DoD Office of Inspector General (@DoD_IG) June 10, 2025
Liu was caught carrying the pathogen in his backpack, and electronic messages revealed plans between the couple to smuggle seeds into the U.S. for research—without permission or oversight. Investigators believe these cases may be coordinated efforts to harvest U.S. scientific advancements through infiltration.
American farmland, laboratories, and innovation are being targeted—and this administration must act immediately.
Chinese Agent Funneled U.S. Firearms to North Korea
As if biological espionage weren’t enough, another Chinese national has admitted to an operation even more alarming. Shenghua Wen, who overstayed a student visa since 2012, pleaded guilty to smuggling U.S. firearms and sensitive tech to North Korea.
📽️#WATCH | In a disturbing case of international arms trafficking, Shenghua Wen, a Chinese national residing illegally in California, has pleaded guilty to exporting firearms and ammunition to North Korea. The video talks about the specifics of Wen’s illegal activities, his… pic.twitter.com/TEt0rHh6WY
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) June 10, 2025
Wen reportedly received $2 million from North Korean officials to purchase weapons, ammunition, and a Houston-based firearms business. In 2023, he shipped three containers of weapons from California to China, which were later funneled into North Korea. Authorities stopped him just in time before he shipped 60,000 rounds of 9mm ammo.
“These actions are of the gravest national security concerns,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon.
Wen now faces up to 30 years in federal prison, but the damage already done could be far worse.
A Coordinated Foreign Threat
Federal investigators are now piecing together what appears to be a pattern of hostile infiltration, all pointing to a larger, coordinated effort by foreign agents. From bio-research theft to military-grade weapons transfers, these cases expose a dangerous blind spot in our national defense and immigration enforcement.
While the Chinese Consulate in Chicago dismisses the charges as “political manipulation,” U.S. officials aren’t buying it. The University of Michigan has disavowed any knowledge of Chinese government funding, but questions remain: How deep does this go—and how many others have slipped through the cracks?
The American people deserve protection from foreign operatives exploiting our openness to sabotage our safety.
It’s time for a zero-tolerance policy on espionage, stronger visa enforcement, and tighter scrutiny of foreign involvement in sensitive American institutions. The threat is real—and it’s already here.
Sources:
FBI busts second Chinese scholar at UM in widening smuggling probe
Chinese couple charged with smuggling a biological pathogen into the U.S.