HELENA — A pair of researchers who work at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory in Hamilton are accused of bringing monkeypox(mpox) samples into the United States without proper documentation and lying to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol about being in possession of the samples.
A criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against Vincent Munster, Chief of the Virus Ecology Unit in the Laboratory of Virology, and Claude Kwe, a research fellow at the Laboratory of Virology. The complaint alleges a conspiracy to import merchandise contrary to law and giving false statements to federal officials.
On January 25, 2026, Munster and Kwe arrived at the McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with travel originating from Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, where an outbreak of monkeypox was occurring.
Monkeypox is an infectious virus that can result in painful rash, enlarged lymph nodes, fevers and other ailments. The two were traveling on National Institute of Health Business for research purposes.
The men were questioned about the items they were transporting, including a large black plastic case.
The Justice Department alleges that when asked by CBP if they had potentially dangerous biological material, which would require additional documentation and approval for commercial flights, the men denied having any in their possession.
On inspection, CPB says they found 113 vials, some containing deactivated mpox samples. Deactivated means the virus is no longer capable of infection or replication, but remains structurally intact for study. FBI analysis of the samples confirmed they were deactivated mpox.
According to the CDC, a 2022 outbreak of a mpox strain in the United States was linked to 30,000 infections and 42 deaths.
Both Munster and Kwe are set to make their initial appearance in U.S. District Court in Missoula on Wednesday, June 3, at 12:30 p.m.
Munster is a citizen of the Netherlands, and Kwe is a citizen of Cameroon. The pair face a maximum sentence of five years in prison if convicted.
The complaint comes the week after Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, sent a whistleblower complaint alleging misconduct against Munster. Sheehy called for thorough oversight concerning Rocky Mountains Laboratory security, safety and personnel practices.
“This announcement by DOJ is exactly why I called for the Department of Health and Human Services to investigate the security protocols at Rocky Mountain Laboratory. Allowing foreign nationals to smuggle dangerous viruses into the United States puts at risk the safety and wellbeing of the American people — and in this case, in particular hardworking Montanans. These two scientists lied to CBP and betrayed the public’s trust, and I’m glad to see the Department of Justice taking action to hold them accountable. I will keep fighting to deliver the answers Montana families deserve,” said Senator Sheehy.
