A Chinese national employed at the MD Anderson Cancer Center was charged with stealing U.S.-funded cancer research and attempting to transport it to China. Yunhai Li, 35, was arrested in July at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston after border patrol discovered confidential medical records on his laptop during an inspection. He was preparing to board a flight to China.
Li faced charges of Theft of Trade Secrets, a third-degree felony punishable by two to ten years in prison and fines up to $10,000, as well as Tampering with a Government Record, a class A misdemeanor carrying up to one year in jail and a $4,000 fine. Prosecutors stated Li had been working on a breast cancer vaccine at the center since 2022 before abruptly resigning in July. He allegedly uploaded nearly completed research to a Chinese server while employed.
Court documents revealed Li was also receiving grant funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and publishing research for The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University during his tenure at MD Anderson, failing to disclose the conflict of interest. Investigators found unpublished research data, including restricted confidential information, on a Chinese server called Baidu.
A sworn statement by Li admitted to retaining the data, stating, “I believe I have the right to possess and retain this data.” Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare emphasized the importance of safeguarding U.S.-funded medical breakthroughs, calling for accountability against actions threatening national interests.