Two Feds Arrested For Attempting To Smuggle Deadly Pathogen

Two federal researchers employed by the National Institutes of Health have been arrested and charged after federal authorities alleged they conspired to smuggle monkeypox-related biological materials into the United States following travel to Central Africa.

The defendants, Vincent Munster, 53, a citizen of the Netherlands, and Claude Kwe, 38, a citizen of Cameroon, were charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox into the United States and making false statements to federal investigators.

According to the Justice Department, both men worked at the NIH’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, one of the nation’s premier infectious disease research facilities. Munster serves as chief of the Virus Ecology Section within the Laboratory of Virology, while Kwe worked as a research fellow in the same unit.

The laboratory operates at Biosafety Level 4, the highest containment classification used for the study of dangerous pathogens and emerging infectious diseases. Researchers there focus on understanding how viruses spread between animals and humans and how outbreaks emerge.

Federal prosecutors say the charges stem from events that unfolded on January 25, 2026, when Munster and Kwe arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after traveling from Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, through Paris. At the time, the Republic of the Congo was reportedly experiencing an active monkeypox outbreak.

According to the criminal complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers selected Kwe for additional screening after observing what officials described as nervous behavior. Officers also reportedly became suspicious after noticing a large black plastic case that appeared unusual for routine business travel.

When questioned by authorities, both researchers allegedly told officers that the case contained diagnostic and testing equipment. According to investigators, Munster attempted to reassure customs officials by stating, “Yes, yes, it’s all in my laptop, but you won’t need them. I do this all the time,” while also reportedly denying that the case contained biological samples.

A subsequent inspection of the luggage allegedly uncovered two Styrofoam coolers containing 113 microcentrifuge vials.

Federal testing later determined that 17 of the sampled vials contained deactivated, or inactivated, monkeypox virus. One vial contained chickenpox virus, while two others contained only human DNA.

Investigators emphasized that the materials tested did not propagate and were determined to be inactivated rather than infectious. Nevertheless, authorities contend that the biological materials were transported without the required permits, declarations, documentation, or packaging standards normally required for importing biological specimens into the United States.

According to prosecutors, neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nor the U.S. Department of Agriculture import requirements were properly satisfied. The complaint further alleges that the researchers violated NIH policies governing the transportation of biological materials aboard commercial aircraft.

U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. sharply criticized the alleged conduct during the announcement of the charges.

“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,” Gorgon said.

Following the filing of charges, both Munster and Kwe surrendered to federal authorities. During an initial court appearance, the defendants pleaded not guilty and were released on their own recognizance pending further proceedings.

If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

The case has attracted national attention due to the defendants’ positions within one of the country’s most sophisticated infectious disease research facilities and because it involves materials connected to monkeypox, a virus that has generated international public health concerns in recent years.

Despite the allegations, federal health officials stressed that there was no threat to the public. An NIH spokesperson, speaking through the Department of Health and Human Services, stated that “there was no risk at any time to the staff or public in or around” the Montana laboratory.

The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to strict biosafety and biosecurity standards while federal authorities continue investigating the case.