Two researchers working with the National Institutes of Health at Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton, Montana, have been charged in a federal criminal complaint after authorities accused them of trying to bring monkeypox viral materials into the United States without proper authorization.
Federal prosecutors identified the researchers as Vincent Munster, 53, a citizen of the Netherlands and chief of the Virus Ecology Section at Rocky Mountain Laboratory, and Claude Kwe, 38, a citizen of Cameroon and a research fellow in Munster’s section. According to the Justice Department, both men work in a high-security Biosafety Level 4 laboratory focused on emerging viral pathogens.
Authorities say the two returned to the United States through Detroit Metropolitan Airport after traveling from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where a monkeypox outbreak was occurring. Investigators allege the men told Customs and Border Protection officers that a large black case they were carrying contained diagnostic and testing equipment. However, federal officials say the case actually contained 113 vials packed in Styrofoam coolers. Of the vials tested so far, officials said 17 contained deactivated monkeypox virus, one contained chickenpox virus, and two contained only human DNA.
The charges include conspiracy to smuggle monkeypox into the United States and making false statements to federal law enforcement. Prosecutors said the case raises serious concerns because biological materials must be handled, declared, and transported under strict safety and legal protocols, especially when they involve viral pathogens connected to an outbreak region.
Both men face up to five years in prison if convicted. Federal officials emphasized that the complaint is only an accusation at this stage, and both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
