Chinese researcher on US visa charged with smuggling E. coli into America, FBI says

WASHINGTON (TNND) — A post-doctoral researcher from China — who was in the U.S. on a visa — was charged with smuggling Escherichia coli (E. coli) into America and making false statements about it, FBI Director Kash Patel said.

Patel shared the news in an X post on Friday morning.

He identified the researcher as Youhuang Xiang, but did not mention the university involved in the case.

“This is yet another example of a researcher from China — given the privilege to work at a U.S. university — who then allegedly chose to take part in a scheme to circumvent U.S. laws and receive biological materials hidden in a package originating from China,” Patel wrote.

Patal said if not properly controlled, E. coli and other biological materials have the potential of inflicting “devastating disease to U.S. crops and cause significant financial loss” to the U.S. economy.

“The FBI will not tolerate any attempt to exploit our nation’s institutions for illegal activity — as we have seen in this case and the three Chinese nationals charged in Michigan in November for allegedly smuggling biological materials into the U.S. on several occasions,” he said. “The FBI and our partners are committed to defending the homeland and stopping any illegal smuggling into our country.”

He also urged universities and their compliance departments to be vigilant of the trend.

“Ensure your researchers know that there is a correct and legal way to obtain a license to import/export approved biological materials, and it must be followed without exception,” he said. “Our continued partnerships will help to better secure our nation and ensure all parties are held accountable.”

FILE – This colorized 2006 scanning electron microscope image made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows E. coli bacteria of the O157:H7 strain that produces a powerful toxin which can cause illness. (Janice Haney Carr/CDC via AP, File)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said E. coli are germs called bacteria found in the environment, foods, water, and the intestines of both humans and animals.

“Most E. coli are harmless and are part of a healthy intestinal tract. E. coli help us digest food, produce vitamins, and protect us from harmful germs,” the CDC notes on its website. “But some E. coli can make people sick with diarrhea, urinary tract infections, pneumonia, sepsis, and other illnesses.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said some types of E. coli can be life-threatening. The agency added that different types of E. coli can contaminate leafy greens, sprouts, raw milk and cheeses, and raw beef and poultry.

“Some wildlife, livestock, and humans are occasional carriers of pathogenic E. coli and can contaminate meats and food crops,” the FDA noted. “Ruminant animals such as cattle, goats, sheep, deer or elk, as well as other animals such as pigs or birds are known carriers of pathogenic E. coli, such as STEC, and are often the pathway as to how STEC is introduced into the environment.”