US drops charges against Chinese scientists for smuggling worms after diplomatic talks

South China Morning PostEN 1 min read 100% complete by Associated PressFebruary 26, 2026 at 04:07 AM

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Three Chinese scientists at the University of Michigan, Bai Xu and Zhang Fengfan, had their charges dropped after a sudden dismissal by a judge in federal court in Detroit. The trio was accused of helping a colleague smuggle biological materials into the US, which turned out to be mostly tiny, transparent worms. The case was pending for over three months before the charges were dismissed at the Justice Department's request. Defence lawyers stated that there was an intervention by the Chinese consulate in Chicago, but details are unknown. The scientists had been jailed while awaiting trial and later travelled home to China. The US Attorney's Office declined to comment on China's role or the government's retreat from the case.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

John Minock 40% Pam Bondi 50% Justice Department 50% Detroit ×360% University of Michigan ×260% Chinese consulate in Chicago ×260% Bai Xu 70% Zhang Fengfan 70% Zhang Zhiyong 70% China ×290% United States ×290%

Keywords

smuggling charges 90% chinese scientists 80% diplomatic talks 70% china 70% united states 60% biological materials 60% university of michigan 50% national security 50% justice department 40%

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South China Morning Post

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smuggling charges chinese scientists diplomatic talks china united states biological materials university of michigan national security justice department

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