Authorities in Texas have charged 35-year-old Yunhai Li, a former postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, with theft of trade secrets and tampering with a government record. Li, a Chinese national, joined MD Anderson in 2022 on a J-1 scholar visa and worked on federally funded breast cancer research until resigning on July 1, 2025.

Investigators say Li secretly copied 50 to 90 gigabytes of sensitive data, including unpublished research, models, and drawings related to a potential breast cancer vaccine. The project was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. Although MD Anderson staff ordered him to delete improperly stored files from his personal devices, court records show that Li had already uploaded them to Baidu, a Chinese cloud server.

Officials allege that Li was simultaneously receiving grant money from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and conducting research for Chongqing Medical University while working in Houston, a conflict of interest he never disclosed. He had signed confidentiality agreements pledging to protect U.S. intellectual property.

The theft is seen as particularly serious because the research aimed at preventing the spread of breast cancer was about 70 percent complete. Prosecutors warned that losing control of such breakthroughs could compromise U.S. leadership in lifesaving medical advances. District Attorney Sean Teare emphasized, “We have zero tolerance for any attempts that hurt our nation and our community’s ability to pioneer critical medical breakthroughs.”

The Arrest and Case Status

On July 9, customs officials stopped Li at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston as he attempted to fly back to China. Agents discovered the confidential files on his laptop and phones. Li later admitted that he believed the research belonged to him, saying, “It is a product of my efforts over the last three years. I believe I have a right to possess and retain this data.”

Li was arrested and charged in state court. Theft of trade secrets carries a penalty of two to ten years in prison and fines up to $10,000, while tampering with records is punishable by up to a year in jail. He was released on a $5,100 bond and ordered to surrender his passport. Officials said additional state and federal charges, including wire fraud and theft of federal funds, remain possible.

What People Are Saying

The case has sparked concern among both medical and security officials. Prosecutors stressed that taxpayer-funded research must stay in the United States to benefit American patients. Teare noted, “That intellectual property stays with us, so we can save lives.”

MD Anderson stated it is cooperating fully with investigators and confirmed Li is no longer employed there. Observers view the case as another example of Chinese efforts to obtain U.S. medical and scientific research through covert means, a pattern highlighted in previous investigations into stolen COVID-19 research.

For now, Li awaits trial as investigators continue to probe his ties to Chinese institutions and the extent of the data breach.

ACZ Editor: We believe this is state-supported theft. And it happens all the time, some say there are 25000 Chinese spies stealing technology.