US Drops Charges Against Three Chinese Scientists in Biological Materials Case After Beijing's Intervention

Charges against three Chinese scientists at the University of Michigan, accused of aiding a colleague in smuggling biological materials—mostly harmless transparent worms—into the U.S. were abruptly dropped by a federal judge at the Justice Department's request. The scientists, held for over three months, returned to China following the dismissal. Defense lawyers indicated that China's government intervened behind the scenes, though U.S. officials declined to comment on this. The case had initially been framed as a national security matter by U.S. authorities.