Two researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have been charged with smuggling vials of deactivated mpox virus into the United States and lying to investigators. Vincent Munster, chief of the virus ecology section at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Montana, and Claude Kwe, who works with him, were stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in January after a flight from Paris and a visit to the Republic of Congo, where an mpox outbreak has been linked to over 2,000 deaths. The FBI said Munster 'adamantly denied' bringing biological materials into the U.S., but tests later confirmed the presence of deactivated mpox virus in their possession. Neither researcher had declared the materials or obtained the necessary permissions.
Background and Context
The researchers were traveling from Congo, where an mpox outbreak was declared over in April after a two-year span. The NIH confirmed it is cooperating with law enforcement but declined to provide further details due to the ongoing investigation. Marcus Sykes of the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Health and Human Services stated that smuggling biological materials without authorization 'is a breach of the public’s trust and could have placed the public at risk.' Munster and Kwe are expected to appear in federal court in Missoula, Montana.
Legal and Institutional Response
The criminal complaint was unsealed in federal court in Detroit, outlining the charges against the researchers. The NIH emphasized its cooperation with authorities but noted limitations in providing additional information due to the ongoing investigation. The case raises questions about laboratory safety protocols and the handling of biological materials by government researchers.