Yunhai Li, 35, is a Chinese national who was arrested after he was caught trying to travel to China with “sensitive medical information,” the Harris County DA said.
HOUSTON — A former researcher at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston was recently caught trying to steal cancer-related research and take it to China, according to Harris County District Attorney Sean Terre.
Yunhai Li is charged with theft of trade secrets and tampering with a government record.
The 35-year-old Chinese national began working at MD Anderson in 2022 on a research scholar exchange visa. He worked on research funded through the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense.
According to investigators, Li was trying to travel to China with sensitive medical records. The evidence was discovered in his luggage during an inspection by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations.
Li was taken into custody at Bush Intercontinental Airport.
“Houston is proudly home to some of the most groundbreaking medical institutions in the world – publicly funded centers that are saving lives each day thanks to their innovative research,” Teare said. “We have zero tolerance for any attempts that hurt our nation and our community’s ability to pioneer critical medical breakthroughs.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and more charges may be filed at a later date, according to the DA’s office.
“We will continue to work relentlessly to protect the integrity of these vital organizations to make sure they can continue to lead the world in advancing critical medical care,” Teare said.
If convicted of both charges, Li could face up to 11 years in prison.
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