Vincent Munster (53) and Claude Kwe (38), researchers from the Netherlands and Cameroon respectively, were arrested at Detroit Metropolitan Airport for allegedly attempting to smuggle vials containing the mpox virus and human DNA from the Republic of Congo. US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials detained them in January 2023 after noticing a large black plastic case they were carrying. Initially claiming it contained diagnostics equipment, they are now charged with conspiracy to smuggle viral pathogens and making false statements to federal agents. The vials, discovered during an inspection, included 17 containing deactivated mpox virus, one with chickenpox virus, and two with human DNA. The researchers worked for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and had returned from Brazzaville during a significant mpox outbreak that resulted in numerous deaths worldwide in 2025. The FBI has stated that the allegations involve serious public safety risks and unlawful actions.