Senator Rand Paul has released new documents concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing early U.S. interceptions of undeclared biological materials linked to a U.S.-China coronavirus research network.
The records include a Department of Homeland Security intelligence report that centers on a network built around a University of Minnesota virologist whose laboratory receives NIH funding.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted undeclared biological materials tied to this network in the years preceding the pandemic, indicating attempts to avoid diplomatic tension and regulatory scrutiny.
In April 2018, a scientist from the Wuhan Institute of Virology requested that the virologist arrange for a student to transport SARS antibodies from the United States to China; the virologist declined, citing heightened U.S.-China tensions and suggested an alternative researcher handle the shipment.
In October 2018, a graduate student in the virologist’s lab offered to send live porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and a growth protocol to an American virologist, requesting the recipient’s shipping address for the material.
The student, who held a degree from an institution affiliated with China’s People’s Liberation Army, omitted any military affiliation on his visa application. The omission raised concerns about the transparency of the researcher’s background.
In November 2018, Customs agents at Detroit Metropolitan Airport seized three concealed vials hidden in paper towels and wax film from a courier identified as a member of China’s Academy of Military Medical Sciences.
The same courier was detained again in June 2021 at the same airport while departing China, carrying 132 additional vials and a laptop assigned to another individual, with the vials likely containing a common laboratory fruit fly species.
The laptop was linked to a U.S. research institution and included login credentials, suggesting potential misuse of research resources.
As chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Paul has previously published internal documents through his public archive, revealing internal doubts about the origins of the virus and actions taken by federal agencies.
