The University of Michigan said on Tuesday that it is “actively reviewing all relevant policies” after two Chinese nationals working with the school were arrested for smuggling potentially dangerous “biological materials” into the United States.

The university, which boasts of being one of the top public research schools in the world, has come under the microscope as two Chinese researchers doing PhD and post-doctoral work at U-M were charged by the Department of Justice this month after they were caught allegedly smuggling hazardous materials that could wipe out crops.

“Recently, several individuals have been accused of trying to transport materials across international borders in violation of federal laws and U-M policies, and of making false statements to law enforcement. The university takes these situations extremely seriously,” said Arthur Lupia, U-M’s interim Vice President for Research and Innovation. “That is why the university is: Fully cooperating with federal investigations about these matters; Actively reviewing all relevant policies; Reexamining internal protocols to determine how to improve training and provide additional guidance; and Ensuring that failure to comply with all laws, regulations, and policies will have consequences, up to termination.”

Earlier this week, a PhD student from Wuhan, China, was arrested at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport for attempting to smuggle “biological materials” into a U-M laboratory. Chengxuan Han told authorities that she had previously sent packages to the United States with biological material related to roundworms, a parasitic worm that can “pose major problems in corn, soybean, peanut and other crops,” according to the DOJ.

The arrest of Han marked the second time this month that a Chinese citizen with connections to the University of Michigan has been charged with smuggling potential biological threats into the country. Michigan scholar Yunqing Jian, along with her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, were also charged by the federal government with attempting to smuggle a fungal plant into the country that could potentially cause “head blight,” a disease that can wipe out wheat, barley, corn, and rice crops.

U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. called the arrests “part of an alarming pattern that threatens our security.”

“The American taxpayer should not be underwriting a PRC-based smuggling operation at one of our crucial public institutions,” Gorgon added.

Last year, U-M said it spent $1.17 billion in “federally sponsored research expenditures,” adding that “Federal funding now accounts for 57% of the university’s total research volume.” Some of that funding has been affected by President Trump ripping up numerous federal grants to universities across the country.

FBI Director Kash Patel addressed the arrest of Jian and Liu last week, saying it “is a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”

The Trump administration has moved to “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese students studying at American universities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that the administration would start by focusing on revoking the visas of students with close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and those studying in “critical fields.”

Trump announced on Wednesday, however, that his administration is close to finalizing a trade deal with China that includes allowing Chinese nationals to use “our colleges and universities.”

In January, U-M ended its partnership with a Chinese university over national security concerns after five Chinese students were charged with attempting to mislead investigators about a suspicious late-night trip they took to a Michigan military base in 2023.