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Three more Chinese research scholars from the University of Michigan face charges relating to smuggling biological materials related to round worms into the U.S.
The group is among seven research scholars from China linked to U-M labs who have been charged in federal court this year.
“At some point, pattern becomes practice. And, apparently, these three men are part of a long and alarming pattern of criminal activities committed by Chinese nationals under the cover of the University of Michigan," said Detroit U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. in a statement.
Researchers study round worms, an organism, to give them better insights into diseases, genetics and cell biology.
Xu Bai, 28; Fengfan Zhang, 27; and Zhiyong Zhang, 30, were named in the criminal complaint.
Authorities charged Bai and F. Zhang with conspiracy to smuggle biological materials into the U.S. Z. Zhang was charged with making false statements, denying that he received a package or knew of the person who sent it.
All three men were research scholars holding J-1 visas for foreign nationals and were conducting research at the U-M laboratory of Xianzhong Xu, commonly referred to as the Shawn Xu Laboratory.
According to the criminal complaint, in 2024 and 2025, Bai and F. Zhang received multiple shipments containing concealed biological materials related to round worms sent from the People’s Republic of China by Chengxuan Han, a citizen of the PRC.
Han was pursuing a Ph.D. from the College of Life Science and Technology at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan, China.
In June 2025, Han traveled to the U.S. to work in the laboratory at U-M. She had recently pleaded no contest to three counts of smuggling and one count of making false statements. Han was sentenced, and then removed from the U.S., authorities said.
After Han’s arrest and removal, U-M initiated an internal investigation into the Shawn Xu Laboratory. All three defendants refused to attend a mandatory meeting or participate in the investigation. They were consequently terminated, which made them eligible for removal by the Department of Homeland Security.
On Oct. 10, federal agents were unable to locate the three men. On Oct. 16, they were arrested at JFK Airport in New York attempting to flee to China. They are in federal custody.
"This case underscores the vital importance of safeguarding the American people and addressing vulnerabilities within foreign student and exchange visitor programs," acting ICE Director Todd M. Lyons said in a statement. "Educational institutions must enhance their admissions procedures to prevent exploitation, which can pose risks to national security, as demonstrated in this instance."
