Chinese national arrested at Detroit Airport for allegedly smuggling biological material
second such case in a week
Washington DC: A Chinese national identified as Chengxuan Han was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Sunday for allegedly smuggling biological material into the United States and providing false information to federal officials. This marks the second such arrest involving Chinese nationals within a week.
According to the FBI, Han, a Ph.D. student from Wuhan, China, had earlier sent four packages from China to individuals affiliated with a laboratory at the University of Michigan. The contents reportedly included biological material related to roundworms, which require a government permit for import.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the arrest in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), stating that Han also allegedly erased data from her electronic device days before her arrival in the US and made false statements about the packages during her questioning at the airport. In a follow-up interview with FBI and ICE HSI agents, Han admitted to both sending the biological materials and misleading authorities about their contents.
"This case is part of a broader effort from the FBI and our federal partners to heavily crack down on similar pathogen smuggling operations, as the CCP works relentlessly to undermine America’s research institutions," Patel said.
Earlier this month, two other Chinese nationals—Yunqing Jian (33) and Zunyong Liu (34)—were charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the US, making false statements, and visa fraud. They allegedly attempted to smuggle a dangerous biological pathogen into the country for research at the same university laboratory.
Investigations into all three cases are ongoing.
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Iran''''s Mexico Embassy says Iran is negotiating with FIFA to move World Cup matches
Mexico City (AP): Iran's Embassy in Mexico on Tuesday said the country is negotiating with FIFA to move Iran's World Cup matches from the U.S. to Mexico after President Donald Trump discouraged the team from attending the tournament, citing safety concerns.
It was unclear whether such talks are happening with FIFA, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iranian officials have previously said it is up to FIFA and the U.S. to keep the team safe during the World Cup.
The Embassy posted a statement attributed to Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj saying Iran wants to move its group stage matches to Mexico to ensure the safety of players and officials.
“When Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America,” the statement said. “We are currently negotiating with FIFA to hold Iran's matches in the World Cup in Mexico.”
The World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico. Iran is scheduled to play against New Zealand on June 16 and Belgium on June 21 in Inglewood, California, before finishing group play in Seattle against Egypt on June 26.
Moving the games would be unprecedented less than three months before the start of the World Cup.
Trump said last week that the Iran team was welcome at the World Cup despite the ongoing war in the Middle East but “I really don't believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety.”
Iran has sent mixed signals about its participation in the tournament after the U.S. and Israel launched attacks that killed the Islamic republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other senior figures.
Sports minister Ahmad Donyamali told state TV last week that it was not possible to play "due to the wicked acts they have done against Iran.”
But after Trump's post the national team said on Instagram that “no one can exclude” it from the tournament and a government spokesman in Tehran stressed in it was the responsibility of FIFA and the U.S. as a co-host nation to keep players safe and secure.
“FIFA is the organizer of the World Cup,” Iran Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said. “When warnings are issued at the highest level about the environment being unsafe for Iranian football players, this indicates that the host country apparently lacks the capacity and ability to provide security for such an important sporting event.”
Soccer is followed passionately in Iran, a nation of more than 90 million people which has qualified for seven men's World Cups and each of the past four editions. The team is ranked No. 20 in the world by FIFA and behind only Japan from Asia.
FIFA has not commented in recent days beyond an Instagram post by president Gianni Infantino last week that he'd received assurances from Trump that Iran was welcome at the tournament.
