Scientists charged with bringing deactivated mpox virus into the US, lying to authorities
Two scientists from a U.S. government lab have been charged with smuggling deactivated mpox virus vials into the country. They allegedly lied to authorities during their arrest at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after returning from Africa. The case raises concerns about public safety and the handling of biological materials.
- ▪Vincent Munster and Claude Kwe were charged with smuggling vials of deactivated mpox virus into the U.S.
- ▪They were stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after a flight from Paris and nine days in the Republic of Congo.
- ▪The National Institutes of Health is cooperating with law enforcement in the ongoing investigation.
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US News Scientists charged with bringing deactivated mpox virus into the US, lying to authorities By Associated Press Published June 3, 2026, 10:53 a.m. ET See more of our coverage in your search results. Add The New York Post on Google DETROIT — Two scientists at a U.S. government lab were charged with smuggling vials of deactivated mpox virus into the country from Africa and lying about it during interviews with investigators at a Michigan airport, authorities said Tuesday. A criminal complaint was unsealed in federal court in Detroit against Vincent Munster, who is chief of the virus ecology section at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, and Claude Kwe, who works with him.
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