NIH Researchers Charged With Smuggling Monkeypox Vials Into US on Commercial Flight
Two NIH researchers at Rocky Mountain Laboratory face federal charges after allegedly smuggling 113 vials of monkeypox virus into the US on a commercial flight from Congo.
Two National Institutes of Health researchers have been charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox viral pathogens into the United States and lying to federal law enforcement agents, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced Tuesday.
Vincent Munster, 53, a Dutch national and Chief of the Virus Ecology Section at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana, and Claude Kwe, 38, a Cameroonian national and research fellow in Munster's section, were intercepted by Customs and Border Protection officers upon their arrival at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on January 25, 2026.
The two men had flown in from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where a monkeypox outbreak was actively underway at the time. Mpox Outbreak: What Is Monkeypox? What Symptoms Should We Look Out for and How Can It Be Prevented? All You Need To Know.
CBP officers flagged the pair after spotting them with a large black plastic case. When questioned, Munster and Kwe allegedly told officers the case contained only diagnostics and testing equipment. Subsequent investigation by CBP and FBI agents revealed it actually held 113 vials packed inside Styrofoam coolers.
Of the 20 vials tested by the FBI so far, 17 contained deactivated monkeypox virus, one contained the chickenpox virus, and two contained only human DNA. What Is Monkeypox? Texas Man Found Infected With Viral Illness Caused by Monkeys, Know Its Symptoms, Transmission and Treatment.
Both men work at a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, the highest-tier biosafety facility used for research on known and potential human pathogens. Their research focuses on emerging viral pathogens and how they cross the species barrier.
"These NIH experts apparently broke our laws by smuggling viral pathogens on a packed commercial airplane from an outbreak in the Republic of Congo. Let that sink in," said US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon.
"No researchers should believe their positions, credentials, or professional status place them above the law," added Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.
Munster and Kwe each face a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The investigation is being led by the FBI's Detroit Field Office.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 03, 2026 08:55 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).