Montana researchers accused of smuggling Monkeypox into the U.S. from the Republic of Congo
The Chief of Virus Ecology and a research fellow at a virology laboratory in Hamilton were accused of smuggling Monkeypox from the Republic of Congo into the United States.
HAMILTON, Mont. – The Chief of the Virus Ecology Section and a research fellow at a virology laboratory in Hamilton were arrested on charges for conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox from the Republic of Congo into the United States.
The United States Attorney’s Office said the Hamilton-based researchers focused on “emerging viral pathogens” and how those pathogens “cross the species barrier.” Their work took place at a Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, which requires “the highest level of biosafety precautions,” the office said.
The United States Attorney’s Office in Michigan worked with the Detroit FBI office to investigate and prosecute the researchers.
The Attorney’s Office said it discovered that the researchers traveled from the Republic of Congo to Detroit in Jan. 2026. At that time, an outbreak of monkeypox was present in the Republic of Congo.
Monkeypox is an infectious virus that can result in painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, fevers and other symptoms.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials interviewed the researchers upon their arrival. During the interview, CBP asked them about a black case they were carrying. The researchers lied and said it contained diagnostics and testing equipment, the Attorney’s Office said.
The Attorney’s Office said a later FBI investigation revealed that the researcher’s suitcase from that day contained 113 vials in styrofoam coolers. Of those, at least 17 contained deactivated monkey pox virus, one contained chickenpox virus and two contained human DNA, the office said.
The attorney’s office said the researchers were charged with conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox and giving false statements to federal law enforcement. They both face a maximum of five years in prison if convicted, the office said.
“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,” United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. said.
The investigation is still ongoing and the researchers are presumed innocent until proven guilty, the Attorney’s Office said.
“Along with our law enforcement partners, we will remain fiercely vigilant in neutralizing biological threats—or otherwise— and continue to hold accountable those who jeopardize the safety and security of the American people,” CBP Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybom said.
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