NIH Researchers Charged Over Mpox Smuggling Plot
Federal prosecutors say the researchers carried 113 vials, including 17 with deactivated mpox, and falsely described the case to customs officers.
- Federal prosecutors charged two National Institutes of Health researchers on Tuesday with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox into the United States. Vincent Munster, chief of the Virus Ecology Section at Rocky Mountain Laboratory, and Claude Kwe, a research fellow, face the charges.
- Returning from the Republic of Congo on January 25, 2026, Munster and Kwe arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with a large case. When questioned by Customs and Border Protection officers, they claimed it contained diagnostic equipment.
- A subsequent investigation uncovered 113 vials stored in Styrofoam coolers. FBI testing of 20 samples revealed 17 contained deactivated monkeypox, one contained chickenpox, and two contained human DNA.
- Both defendants face up to five years in prison on charges of smuggling and making false statements. Marcus Sykes of the Department of Health and Human Services called the incident a "breach of the public's trust."
- Mpox remains a significant public health concern despite a fatality rate typically below 1 percent. An outbreak in Congo was linked to more than 2,000 deaths, underscoring the virus's potential severity.
149 Articles
149 Articles
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Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, includes a Biosafety Level 4 secure facility for working on the world’s most dangerous disease substances. Credit: Bryan Kercher / NIH Rocky Mountain Laboratories got its start back in 1900 in Hamilton, Montana, where settlers were dying from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The facility has been wrangling with biological and human trouble ever since. RML’s latest controversy arose this week when th…
Two researchers charged with allegedly trying to smuggle mpox...
Two foreign nationals working at the National Institutes of Health are facing charges for allegedly trying to smuggle mpox into the United States through the Detroit Metro Airport. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Vincent Munster, 53, a citizen of the Netherlands, and Claude Kwe, 38, a citizen of Cameroon, are accused of providing federal authorities with false statements after arriving at the McNamara Terminal on Jan. 25, 2026. Official…
NIH Researchers Charged for Allegedly Smuggling 17 Vials of Monkeypox Into US
Two researchers with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been charged with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox into the United States and giving false statements to federal law enforcement.
NIH Researchers Charged in Alleged Scheme to Smuggle Monkeypox Vials Into U.S. From Africa
Federal prosecutors have charged two National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers in connection with what authorities describe as the improper transport of viral materials into the United States following travel from Africa. The case involves allegations of conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox and making false statements to federal agents. The defendants, Vincent Munster, 53, and Claude...
Two scientists have been accused of bringing the monkey’s smallpox virus to the United States. Vincent Munster, head of the Rocky Mountain Laboratories’ virus ecology section of the U.S. government, and his collaborator Claude Kwe. Scientists Accused for Bringing Monkeypox Virus to the U.S. A Detroit federal court accused scientists Vincent Munster and Claude Kwe of conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox virus into the U.S. from Africa. Scientists were…
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