Chinese Student Detained for Alleged Smuggling of Undeclared Biological Materials, New Mugshot Released

Authorities have released a mugshot of the Chinese national accused of smuggling undeclared biological material into the United States. 

Chengxuan Han was set to appear in a federal court on Wednesday to confront allegations of smuggling goods into the United States and providing false statements, as per documents viewed by Fox News Digital. Nevertheless, the detention hearing was abbreviated because her court-appointed lawyer asked for additional time owing to “some further issues relevant to the matter of bond.”

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Han is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and a Ph.D. candidate at the College of Life Science and Technology in Wuhan’s Huazhong University of Science and Technology.

This month, Han is the third individual from China detained for purportedly smuggling items into the U.S. University of Michigan post-doctoral research fellow Yunqing Jian and her partner, Zunyong Liu, were taken into custody for allegedly transporting an “agroterrorism agent” into the U.S. for research at a University of Michigan facility.

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.