Youhang Xiang has been federally charged for allegedly bringing E. coli from China into the United States, FBI Director Kash Patel said Friday. Investigators say the bacteria was shipped in packages that included women's underwear to avoid detection. Xiang is charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S, and making false statements.
According to the website of an agricultural research contest he entered, Xiang worked in a biology laboratory at Indiana University. The FBI says he is a J-1 visa holder. He earned his Ph.D. in plant science from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and his research focused on developing disease-resistant wheat through genome editing and studying plant-microbe interactions.
E. coli is a type of bacteria that normally lives harmlessly in the intestines of people and animals. However, according to the FDA, some pathogenic strains can cause life-threatening complications. These harmful strains can spread through contaminted food or water and are often linked to outbreaks involving meat, dairy, or produce.
An excerpt from Patel's post on Friday reads, "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 orginating from China."
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