Two NIH Employees Charged with Smuggling Monkeypox into the U.S.

<p>Two foreign nationals employed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were charged on June 2, 2026, with smuggling monkeypox into the United States and providing false statements to federal law enforcement.</p><p>According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Vincent Munster, 53, a Dutch citizen and chief of the Virus Ecology Section at the NIH’s Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana, and Claude Kwe, 38, a Cameroonian national and NIH research fellow, were charged with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox into the United States from the Republic of Congo.</p><p>Both individuals face a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted. They worked at a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, which is used to study highly dangerous pathogens.</p><p>Federal authorities reported that the two men arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on January 25, 2026, after traveling from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where a monkeypox outbreak was ongoing. Customs and Border Protection officers questioned them after noticing they were carrying a large black plastic case.</p><p>Investigators stated that Munster and Kwe claimed the case contained diagnostic and testing equipment, but authorities later discovered it contained 113 biological vials packed inside Styrofoam coolers.</p><p>Testing on 20 of the vials revealed that 17 contained deactivated monkeypox virus, one contained chickenpox virus, and two contained human DNA.</p><p>U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. commented on the allegations, emphasizing the seriousness of the situation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that monkeypox is primarily spread through close physical contact with infected individuals, animals, or contaminated materials, and that while most people recover, certain groups face a higher risk of severe illness.</p><p>According to the CDC, outbreaks of monkeypox have been ongoing in Central and Eastern Africa since late 2023, and the global clade IIb monkeypox outbreak that began in 2022 has resulted in over 100,000 cases across 122 countries. Since November 2024, the U.S. has recorded more than 20 laboratory-confirmed clade I monkeypox cases, primarily involving travelers returning from affected regions.</p><p>FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan described the allegations as serious and involving dangerous smuggling practices. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General also condemned the actions, warning that concealing biological materials could pose a public risk.</p>