In a Detroit federal courtroom on August 19, Chengxuan Han, a 28-year-old Chinese doctoral student at the University of Michigan (U-Mich), entered a plea of nolo contendere, or “no contest,” to politically motivated federal charges. This decision comes just days after Han’s defense team filed a motion to suppress statements obtained through egregious violations of her Fifth Amendment rights.

Han, a Ph.D. candidate at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan, was charged with three counts of smuggling goods into the United States and one count of making false statements to federal officers. For the alleged “crime” of improperly shipping nonhazardous samples of C. elegans roundworms and plasmids for her scientific research, she faces up to 25 years in a federal prison—20 years for the smuggling charges and five for the false statements charge. Her sentencing is scheduled for September 10.

In a parallel case at U-Mich, postdoctoral fellow Yunqing Jian faces similar charges, sensationalized as “agroterrorism,” over the transport of the common fungal pathogen fusarium graminearum. Jian is reportedly negotiating a plea deal, with a hearing set for September 18. Both Han and Jian have been held without bond in federal custody since early June.

The charges are a pretext to scapegoat Han and Jian, criminalizing the routine and harmless international exchange of biological materials. This is part of a broader campaign by the American ruling elite to poison public opinion against China. Trump administration officials, including FBI Director Kash Patel, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, have inflamed the situation with unsubstantiated allegations of “agroterrorism,” transforming a minor customs infraction into an alleged national security threat.

This legal witch-hunt is part of the ideological preparations for war, aimed at cultivating a political climate of fear, nationalism, and xenophobia. By portraying Chinese scientists and students as spies and threats, the state is attempting to sever international scientific collaboration and whip up anti-Chinese prejudice.

The case against Han centers on four packages containing biological materials she sent from China in 2024 and 2025 to individuals associated with a laboratory at U-Mich where she was set to begin work as a visiting scholar holding a J1 visa. Upon her arrival at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on June 8, her first visit to the US, she was detained by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers and subjected to a “Tactical Terrorism Response Team” inspection. Without an attorney present, she admitted to sending the research materials.

However, the “Motion to Suppress Statements” filed August 7 by Han’s defense attorneys tears apart the legitimacy of the government’s evidence. The brief supporting the motion details two separate episodes of coercive interrogation that flagrantly violated Han’s constitutional rights. Han was compelled to plead no contest even as this motion was pending, with a hearing set for November 7.

For two-and-a half hours, CBP officers subjected Han to a custodial interrogation. Officer Hamika, the CBP interrogator, badgered Han with statements designed to elicit incriminating responses, such as, “Nobody believes you,” “I want the truth,” and “She’s still lying.” Authorities had predetermined that Han would not be allowed into the country and would be arrested based on the previously seized packages sent in her name.

Yet, despite being in custody, despite the accusatory tone, and despite the predetermined outcome of her arrest, Han was never provided with Miranda warnings during this entire CBP interrogation. Established legal precedent mandates Miranda warnings once a border investigation becomes focused on criminal activity rather than routine admissibility.

After the initial interrogation, Han was handed over to Homeland Security agents, including agent Ratterman. Here, for the first time, she was informed of her Miranda rights. However, what followed was an even more brazen violation of her Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination.

Han, clearly confused by the complex legal situation and unfamiliar with US law, unequivocally invoked her right to counsel. Under established US Supreme Court precedent, once a suspect invokes their right to counsel, all questioning must cease. Agent Ratterman continued interrogating Han for roughly another two hours after this explicit request for a lawyer.

Any subsequent “waiver” of Miranda rights by Han was not made knowingly or voluntarily. The motion highlights “mistranslations and interpreter confusion” throughout the Homeland Security interview, especially the following exchange:

Agent Ratterman: “But, that being said, there not going to be a lawyer here tonight. If you want a lawyer before you talk to me, that’s fine. But what happens is we just gonna stop, and you gonna be under arrest. After the judge sees you, the judge will appoint you a lawyer, and we can make an arrangement after that point. OK?”

Interpreter (in Mandarin): “He says if you don’t talk to him, he is not able to provide you a lawyer. Then you first see a judge, and the judge will appoint you a lawyer. You are under arrest first, then the judge find you a lawyer. We can meet after that, if you don’t want to talk now.”

Han (in Mandarin): “I am willing to explain now.”

The agent told Han she had a right to a lawyer (however ambiguously), but the interpreter falsely told her the opposite. The brief notes that the agent’s statements and the interpreter’s misrepresentations aligned with Chinese legal practices where a lawyer is typically not present during interrogation.

These factors, combined with Han's persistent confusion even at the end of the interview (when she again asked if she could request legal assistance), demonstrate that her “waiver” was not a free and informed choice, but the result of sustained pressure, manipulation, and a lack of understanding of her fundamental rights.

The government’s case is both unconstitutional and unscientific and has drawn the criticism of principled scientists. Caitilyn Allen, a plant pathologist and professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, told the World Socialist Web Site that “Scientists frequently exchange plasmids, it’s part of normal research collaboration, usually done by mail… [C. elegans] are harmless and very widely used as model organisms for studying development and for teaching biology… [I]mporting without a permit has been punished with a fine, not a 20-year jail sentence.”

In an e-mail exchange, Prof. Allen affirmed that hers is a widely held interpretation: “I think it’s accurate to say these are completely mainstream views in the scientific community.”

Plant pathologist and professor emeritus at Michigan State University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Tom Sharkey confirmed this analysis:

I would make all the points that Caitilyn Allen made and add just one thing. In science we are expected to make all raw data and all organisms needed to recreate results that are published freely available. Breaking rules about getting permission before transferring materials is a minor infraction. The rules are intended to prevent outbreaks. The rules are not to prevent movement of materials or protect intellectual properties. Patents do that. In fact, such movements to any interested lab are required so that all scientists can try to recreate our findings. Smuggling is a gross exaggeration of what is alleged.

The regents and university administration capitulated early to the bipartisan war drive against China, ending their joint research partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University in January 2025 following pressure from Congress. They have fully cooperated with the witch-hunt against Han and Jian. The only organization at U-Mich that has opposed the persecution of Han and Jian is the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE).

The political motivations driving the persecution of Han were clear in the statement of Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., the interim United States attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Gorgon declared:

This alien from Wuhan, China smuggled round worms and other biomaterials into our country… The University of Michigan invited this Chinese national into our state to be a visiting scholar where it was going to give her more than $41,000 in a year to do her worm research at the Life Sciences Institute. Something is wrong in Ann Arbor.

This is a direct political threat aimed at U-Mich and every institution of higher learning in the United States that dares to engage in international scientific collaboration.