A Chinese researcher was apprehended at a Texas airport for allegedly attempting to illicitly transport U.S.-funded cancer research back to China, potentially facing federal charges for the audacious act. Yunhai Li, 35, was detained at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston on July 9 when border patrol discovered confidential medical records on his laptop during a pre-flight inspection, according to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Li, a Chinese national, had been employed as a researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center since 2022. He was reportedly developing a vaccine to inhibit the spread of breast cancer. However, he abruptly resigned on July 1 and transferred the nearly completed research to a Chinese server on his computer.
Li was charged with theft of trade secrets and tampering with government records. “Houston is home to some of the world’s most innovative medical institutions, publicly funded centers that are saving lives daily through their pioneering research,” District Attorney Sean Terre said. He emphasized that there would be no tolerance for actions that undermine the nation and the community’s ability to spearhead crucial medical breakthroughs.
Prosecutors revealed that Li had uploaded his research to his personal Google Drive while working at the cancer center. When the institution discovered this, he deleted the files and demonstrated that he had done so. However, Li, whose potentially transformative work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense, was also receiving payment from Chinese entities. He had shared his files to a similar drive on a Chinese server called Baidu, according to court documents.
Court records indicated that Li was covertly conducting research for Chongqing Medical University while employed in the U.S. on a non-immigrant scholar exchange visa. He failed to disclose this conflict of interest, despite signing a non-disclosure form stating he had no foreign research ties or funding.
Border Patrol discovered unpublished research, trade secrets, and confidential files, including writings, drawings, and models, stored in the Baidu account on Li’s laptop. “That intellectual property stays with us, so we can save lives,” Teare stated.
Following his arrest, Li reportedly told police he took the research because he believed it was his right, claiming it was “going to waste,” according to court documents. The scientist was re-arrested on Monday and charged with theft of trade secrets and tampering with government records, crimes that could result in up to ten years in prison and substantial fines if convicted.
Officials indicated that Li could also face federal charges for the rogue operation. The alleged duplicitous doctor reportedly posted a $5,100 bond and was required to surrender his passport as a condition of his release.