Senator Rand Paul has released a collection of documents detailing FBI interference in border security protocols and the interception of undeclared biological materials. These records link U.S.-China coronavirus research networks to specific incidents at Detroit Metropolitan and JFK airports.
The 2018 Detroit Metropolitan Airport interception
On November 28, 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers intercepted biological materials during an inspection at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. According to the documents released by Senator Rand Paul, a courier was found carrying vials containing porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and antibody genetic material. The courier identified the provider as Yusen Zhou, an employee of China's Academy of Military Medical Sciences, noting the materials were intended for Fang Li, a virologist at the University of Minnesota.
The interception occurred amidst efforts to move sensitive research materials between nations. The documents suggest that in April 2018, Zhengli Shi, a scientist at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, requested that Fang Li have a student transport SARS research antibodies from the United States back to China. while Li expressed concerns regarding the geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, the records indicate that alternative shipping methods were pursued to move the biological materials.
The FBI's intervention regarding Peter Daszak at JFK
In 2021, the FBI reportedly prevented U.S. Customs and Border Protection from conducting a targeted search of Peter Daszak upon his return to the United States. As the report indicates, the CBP's National Targeting Center had flagged Daszak as an "extremely high person of interest" due to his 15-year collaboration with the Wuhan Institute of Virology and his role in managing NIH-funded research.
The documents reveal that CBP officials had prepared a series of questions and intended to search Daszak's electronic media when he landed at JFK airport during the WHO investigation into the pandemic . However, the planned interrogation and search were abruptly halted when the FBI instructed CBP officers to stand down. This intervention occurred at a critical juncture when international scrutiny of coronavirus research funding was at its peak.
A research network spanning from Minnesota to Wuhan
The released records suggest a complex web of biological material transfers involving the University of Minnesota and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. These connections are centered around Fang Li, whose laboratory has received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The documents highlight how research interests and biological samples appear to have moved between American and Chinese institutions in the years leading up to the pandemic.
This pattern of movement underscores the high stakes of international virology research. The interception of the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus—a highly dangerous coronavirus affecting swine—serves as a concrete example of the types of materials moving through these networks. The upcoming July 29th U .S. Senate hearing is expected to focus heavily on these specific funing ties and the potential for misleading information regarding the origins of the pandemic.
Who authorized the FBI to shield Peter Daszak?
While the documents provide a detailed timeline of events, several critical questions remain unanswered for investigators. It is not yet clear which specific officials within the FBI issued the order to prevent CBP from questioninng Daszak at JFK airport, nor has the agency provided a justification for the intervention.
Furthermore, the documents do not clarify whether the intercepted materials at Detroit Metropolitan Airport were part of a broader, systemic effort to bypass National Institutes of Health (NIH) regulatory requirements. Without further transparency regarding the FBI's decision-making process, the question of whether federal agencies actively shielded key researchers from standard border scrutiny will continue to fuel congressional debate.
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