ROMULUS, MICH. ~ Two National Institutes of Health scientists have been charged with conspiracy to bring monkeypox to the United States and lying about it to a federal officer.
The researchers, Claude Kwe and Vincent Munster, who work at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Montana, allegedly brought 17 vials containing deactivated monkeypox from the Republic of Congo, where there was an outbreak of the virus, to the Detroit Metro Airport on Jan. 25, according to the Detroit Free Press.
When they landed, U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspected one of the virus experts twice, and the researcher told CBP that the luggage contained testing equipment and diagnostics. The FBI then picked up the inspection and found the vials with the disease.
Kwe and Munster could face five years in prison if convicted, as they will face prosecution in Detroit after their scheduled voluntary appearance in Missoula, Montana, on Wednesday, June 3.
