Chinese Doctor Arrested for Trying to Smuggle American Cancer Research to China
by Frank Bergman
A Chinese researcher at Houston’s MD Anderson Cancer Center has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to smuggle sensitive cancer-related research back to China, authorities said.
Yunhai Li, 35, had worked at MD Anderson since 2022.
He was stopped by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at a Texas airport on July 9, according to Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare’s office.
Officials said the stop was conducted in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations.
“We were able to detain him as he was trying to get on a flight to China,” DA Teare told Fox26 Houston.
“That intellectual property stays with us, so we can save lives.”
Li faces charges of Theft of Trade Secrets and Tampering with a Government Record.
The theft charge carries a potential penalty of two to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Prosecutors said Li was in the U.S. on a non-immigrant research scholar exchange visa provided by the State Department.
His work was reportedly funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.