BLOOMINGTON— A postdoctoral researcher at Indiana University has been federally charged after allegedly smuggling biological pathogens from China into the United States by hiding them inside packages of women’s underwear.
The FBI announced on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, that Youhuang Xiang, a 38-year-old J-1 Visa holder, faces charges of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., and making false statements to federal officials.
Xiang, whose research at IU focused on genome editing in wheat plants to combat fungal diseases, first drew federal scrutiny in April 2025. While returning to the U.S. through Detroit, he was flagged by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) due to his specialization in plant genetics—a field currently being monitored for potential biological smuggling. At the time, Xiang denied transporting any research materials or having ties to the Chinese government.
However, a follow-up investigation by the FBI revealed that Xiang had previously worked at “PRC Key Laboratories,” an entity overseen by the Chinese government with a history of suspicious activity.
In mid-November, investigators intercepted a suspicious package sent to Xiang’s Bloomington residence. The package contained underwear of man-made fibers and other underwear, the declared value was $186 and was sent from Guangzhou Sci Tech Innovation Trading.
Federal agents found it highly unusual for a researcher to ship women’s underwear from a company with “Sci Tech Innovation” in its name. When Xiang returned from an international trip via Chicago O’Hare on Nov. 23, he was detained for questioning.
During the interview, Xiang reportedly admitted that the package did not just contain clothing. He confessed to receiving plasmid DNA derived from Escherichia coli (E. coli) sent from his former university, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He admitted the package was intentionally mislabeled to evade CBP detection.
“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,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “If not properly controlled, E. coli and other biological materials could inflict devastating disease to U.S. crops and cause significant financial loss to the U.S. economy.”
IU has reportedly removed Xiang’s profile from its Department of Biology website, where he was listed as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Innes Lab. In a statement, the university emphasized its commitment to research integrity.
Xiang was officially charged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana. If convicted, he faces significant prison time for the smuggling and conspiracy counts.
