Scientists charged with smuggling mpox virus into US

Two scientists employed by a U.S. government laboratory have been charged with criminal offenses related to the smuggling of deactivated mpox virus into the United States. Vincent Munster, chief of the virus ecology section at Rocky Mountain Laboratories in Hamilton, Montana, and Claude Kwe, who works with him, were stopped at Detroit Metropolitan Airport in January after a flight from Paris and nine days in the Republic of Congo. An outbreak of the mpox disease has been linked to more than 2,000 deaths in Congo. Munster and Kwe allegedly failed to declare the vials of deactivated mpox virus they were carrying, which were brought from Africa without the required permits. They are also accused of lying to investigators when questioned about these actions. Munster told investigators that he "does this all the time" regarding the possession of necessary documentation. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which oversees the lab, stated that the matter is under investigation and they are cooperating fully with law enforcement. The motivation behind smuggling the virus remains unclear, though both scientists have extensive research experience with mpox. They are expected to appear in federal court in Missoula, Montana.