Vincent Munster, 53, of the Netherlands, is chief of the Virus Ecology Section at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana; Claude Kwe, 38, a citizen of Cameroon, is a research fellow in Munster’s section.
According to the complaint, they arrived on Jan. 25 at Detroit Metropolitan Airport from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where a monkeypox outbreak was underway.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers stopped the men after noticing a large black plastic case. The researchers claimed the case contained diagnostic equipment, but Customs and the FBI found 113 vials packed inside Styrofoam coolers.
The FBI has only tested 20 of the 113 vials to date. Seventeen contained deactivated monkeypox virus, one contained chickenpox virus, and two contained only human DNA.
Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana, is home to a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, the highest level for handling dangerous viruses. The complaint says both researchers focus on “emerging viral pathogens,” and how those viruses “cross the species barrier.”
Monkeypox, also called mpox, is a viral infection that causes a painful rash, swollen lymph nodes, fever and other symptoms. It is caused by the monkeypox virus, is in the same virus family as smallpox, and spreads between animals, humans and person to person.
“These NIH experts apparently broke our laws by smuggling viral pathogens on a packed commercial airplane from an outbreak in the Republic of Congo. Let that sink in,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said.
“No researchers should believe their positions, credentials, or professional status place them above the law,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.
“The allegations in this case are serious. They involve the dangerous and unlawful smuggling of deactivated Mpox virus into the United States and alleged efforts to mislead our federal agents,” she said, adding that she’s grateful for the FBI, the CBP team at Detroit Metro Airport, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for keeping communities safe.
“We have zero tolerance for anyone who attempts to exploit our research frameworks, circumvent our border enforcement processes, or deceive investigators,” said CBP Director of Field Operations Marty Raybon.
What is Monkeypox?
Monkeypox spreads mainly through close contact with infected people or animals, or handling clothing or bedding by infected persons, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The virus that causes monkeypox has been found in small rodents, monkeys, and other mammals that live in the areas of Western or Central Africa where monkeypox regularly occurs.
Most people recover in two to four weeks with supportive care, but some groups are at higher risk for severe illness.
Although most cases of monkeypox are not life-threatening, infants under one, people who are pregnant or recently pregnant, and those with weakened immune systems or a history of eczema are at higher risk. A vaccine is available to help prevent monkeypox.
