CBP Release Package — page 1

Chairman Rand Paul, M.D. COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY & GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS Federal Officials Intercepted Undeclared Biological Materials Tied to a U.S.-China Coronavirus-Research Network as Early as 2018 Years before the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted undeclared biological materials tied to a network of American and Chinese coronavirus researchers centered on the University of Minnesota lab of virologist Fang Li. In April 2018, Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) scientist Zhengli Shi asked University of Minnesota's Fang Li to have a student bring antibodies for SARS-work "back to China." That October, a student in the lab offered to send live PEDV, a swine coronavirus, to a prominent American researcher. One month later, CBP pulled three undeclared vials--concealed in paper towel and wax film--from a courier who named Yusen Zhou of China's Academy of Military Medical Sciences (AMMS) as the source. A joint DHS/FBI laboratory later confirmed the vials held antibody genetic material and PEDV spike-protein material. In 2021, the same courier was stopped again at a U.S. airport with undeclared vials and a laptop belonging to someone else. WHAT THE RECORDS SHOW APRIL 2018 WIV's Dr. Shi proposed moving antibodies outside normal channels. Dr. Zhengli Shi asked Fang Li to have one of his students take monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from the U.S. to China for SARS-related coronavirus testing. Fang Li told Shi that it was not a good idea "given the current tension between USA and China" and suggested another scientist ship the antibodies to China. OCTOBER 2018 Fang Li's student coordinated a shipment of PEDV live virus to Ralph Baric. Qibin Geng, a student in Fang Li's lab, requested Ralph Baric's address for shipping PEDV live virus (a swine coronavirus) with a growth protocol attached. NOVEMBER 2018 Acourier was caught bringing mRNA and PEDV spike-protein material from China. CBP officers stopped an inbound traveler, Courier 1, carrying three vials concealed in paper towel and wax film, undeclared. Courier 1 said Yusen Zhou supplied them for Fang Li. DHS/FBI testing later found the vials contained precursor mRNA and PEDV spike-protein material. The same courier was caught again--with 132 vials and a laptop that didn't belong to him. Courier 1 was stopped in June 2021, this time outbound to China, carrying 132 undeclared vials that CBP reported likely contained a species of fly commonly used as a model organism in biological research. Courier 1 was also carrying a laptop issued by a U.S. research institution to another person, along with the credentials to log into it.