NIH Virologists Attempted Virus Smuggling

Two virologists have been brought up on federal charges, sparking a public outcry about NIH researchers being targeted by President Donald J. Trump’s administration.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the charges last week against virologists Vincent Munster, PhD, and Claude Kwe, PhD, for allegedly transporting undeclared inactivated mpox (monkeypox) virus on a flight to the U.S. They are also accused of making false statements to federal law enforcement officials about the act.

The Criminal Complaint Against Virologists

The charges allege “non-compliance with NIH policy on the importation of biological materials. Personal, civil and criminal penalties have been established for willful violation of regulations related to biological transport.”

The DOJ asserts the virologists face up to five years in prison.

The complaint says “guidance permits non-infectious biological material to be hand-carried on aircraft, though the NIH does not recommend or encourage this practice.”

“NIH staff who intend to do so must adhere to specific requirements related to foreign import and customs requirements, declaration of materials, proper packaging and marking of materials, pre-arranged screening with the Transportation Security Administration, written approval from airlines, and obtainment of a transfer certificate,” the complaint continues.

President of ABSA International, the Association for Biosafety and Biosecurity, Anne-Sophie Brocard, PhD, says, “I cannot comment on the specifics of this case, but ABSA has long supported research standards and laboratory protocols that keep researchers, their staff and the public safe.”

Since the charges were brought against the researchers, other virologists have expressed concerns, suggesting they reflect a pattern of targeted scientists and virologists under the Trump administration.

“This is extremely chilling — virologists being targeted for what appears to be minor (if any) ‘offenses,'” says Kristian Anderson, PhD, an evolutionary virologist at Scripps Research.

He noted that the “inactivated samples in question are ‘harmless’ and very specifically — such samples do not contain the virus itself. It is nothing more than a soup of nucleotides, proteins, and whatever else may be in an inactivated sample taken from humans.”

“As for the ‘lying’ part, I can’t speak to that as I was not in the room; however, as I will outline, this part is likely due to misunderstandings and down to the fact that the investigators seem very familiar with how research is done,” added Anderson.

Virologist Angela Rasmussen, PhD, at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, told Science that “inactivated monkeypox viruses routinely are used as a control in diagnostic tests or to develop the assays.”

She continues, “Stepping up to fight outbreaks of the world’s deadliest emerging viruses doesn’t count for much these days if you’re a politically useful target. To my colleagues & my fellow Americans: now it’s Vincent & Kwe. Next maybe it’s you.”

Munster, 53, is a citizen of the Netherlands and head of the Virus Ecology Section at the NIH’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton, Montana. Kwe is a citizen of Cameroon and a research fellow in Munster’s section.

Recently, RMY came under fire from an animal rights group and Make America Great Again influencer Laura Loomer when a monkey with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever allegedly bit a scientist in Detroit a week ago.

Legal counsel for Kwe says that “at this point, our only statement is that Mr. Kwe is presumed innocent and we will await future proceedings before commenting further.”

Munster’s legal counsel declined to comment.

Previous DOJ Charges

In April, the DOJ announced charges against a top aide to Anthony Fauci, MD, at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. According to the indictment, David Morens, MD, was charged with multiple federal crimes for “using his private email to evade Freedom of Information Act requests related to discussions on bat coronavirus research grants.”

Jeremy Berg, PhD, a former director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, told MedPage Today that even though “it wasn’t good form for Morens to put in writing his request to shift to personal email, the prosecution seemed excessive.”

Rocky Mountain Laboratories

RML began in Hamilton, Montana in 1900 when settlers were dying from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and the facility continues to wrangle with biological and human disease.

In the latest controversy, on top of the accusations from an animal advocacy group called White Coat Waste Project Inc., which published an “exclusive whistleblower report” accusing the facility of “covering up accidents involving exposure to dangerous pathogens.”

The accusations have caught the attention of congressional Republicans, including Montana Senator Tim Sheehy, and highlighted a larger debate over animal research amid deep political polarization amid an Ebola outbreak and the hantavirus infection. These combined outbreaks have reportedly killed hundreds.

White Coat Waste is a registered nonprofit. In addition to its campaign against RML, it claims credit for pushing multiple measures against federal lab testing on animals in the 2026 Farm Bill. The bill cut funding for animal testing collaborations with Russia, China, and other countries. Among its past accomplishments are the defunding of dog research by the Department of Veterans Affairs labs and a monkey nicotine addiction project conducted by the Food and Drug Administration.

On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Jerome E. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan announced that Munster and Kwe were stopped on Jan. 25, 2025, in Detroit on a flight from the Republic of Congo. Customs and Border Patrol officers discovered a large black plastic case among their luggage which allegedly contained diagnostics and testing equipment, according to a June 2 press release from the DOJ.

Both Munster and Kwe work in the Emerging Viral Pathogens section of RML’s Biosafety Level 4 lab. The DOJ describes the lab as having “the highest level of biosafety precautions for scientific research of known and potential human pathogens.” It specializes in studying and discovering treatments for contagious and deadly diseases.

The DOJ says the virologists were carrying a cooler with 113 vials. According to tests conducted by the FBI, 17 of the 20 vials tested contained deactivated mpox virus, one contained chickenpox virus, and two contained human DNA.

It is important to note that mpox is not fatal but does cause flu-like symptoms and a painful rash.

Gargon says, “These NIH experts apparently broke our laws by smuggling viral pathogens on a packed commercial airplane from an outbreak in the Republic of Congo.”

In April, it was announced the mpox outbreak in the Republic of Congo was contained after two years.

The release does not say if the virologists are still in custody or when they are due to appear in court, but says they are innocent until proven guilty.

Marty Raybon, director of Customs and Border Patrol Field Operations, says, “We will remain fiercely vigilant in neutralizing biological threats — or otherwise — and continue to hold accountable those who jeopardize the safety and security of the American people.”

Since the 2020 COVID pandemic, suspicions remain high that government virologists are either carelessly or deliberately playing with deadly diseases for unknown and possibly evil purposes.

RML asserts they have spent years building trust in the community and are handling dangerous pathogens to help the public, not cause it harm.

Spokeswoman for White Coat Waste, Karen Lapizco, emailed Mojo on May 13 with “major WCW scoops.” The email included claims that the Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. confirmed that the FBI was investigating Munster for the possible smuggling of hazardous samples from Africa to Montana. It stated that in November, another lab worker was exposed to Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever via a monkey bite and was airlifted to a “distant location” for treatment. Also, it said in February, a RML staff member had an incident with a “select agent,” which is the technical term for a dangerous pathogen.

Senior Vice President for White Coat Waste Justin Goodman told Mojo on Wednesday, “It’s caused a lot of alarm in Congress that [the National Institutes of Health] was not transparent about those accidents. Lawmakers are also concerned that international smuggling was brushed under the rug by NIH leadership.”

On May 26, Sheehy wrote to Health and Human Services Inspector General T. March Bell to request more information about these incidents and the “risks posed by potentially rogue scientists.”

He wrote: “It is critical that scientists, especially those with foreign connections, are thoroughly vetted given the potentially catastrophic impacts of their work on our nation’s health and security.”

On Wednesday, RML shared a statement from the NIH about the arrests of Munster and Kwe that stated it would not offer additional details but that “NIH took appropriate actions and confirmed there was no risk to staff or the surrounding community.

“We also want to reaffirm NIH’s expectations regarding the handling, transport, storage, documentation, and stewardship of research materials and biological samples. All staff are responsible for understanding and complying with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures governing these activities. Maintaining public trust in our work requires a shared commitment to accountability, transparency, and strict adherence to established biosafety and biosecurity requirements.”

Sources:

MedPage Today: Scientists Call Charges Against NIH Virologists ‘Chilling’
Military.com: Exclusive: Senator Targets NIH Bio-Smuggling Loophole in Mandatory Prison Bill
The Daily Beast: Deadly Virus Found in Luggage at U.S. Airport

Featured Image Courtesy of Josh Schwartzman’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License