- The FBI raided the homes of XiaoFeng Wang and Nianli Ma, two former Indiana University professors. Authorities have not disclosed reasons for the searches.
- Wang, a cybersecurity expert, and Ma, a systems analyst, were subject to an internal university investigation before the federal raids.
- The raids come amid heightened scrutiny of Chinese scientists in sensitive fields, following the now-defunct 2018 China Initiative aimed at countering national security threats.
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The FBI raided the homes of two former Indiana University professors but federal authorities have not disclosed the reason for the searches.
“We conducted court-authorized law enforcement activity at homes in Bloomington and Carmel. We have no further comment at this time,” the FBI said in an emailed statement to Indiana Public Media.
On Monday, March 31, the U.S. Attorney’s Office responded to a request for an interview with the statement, “We can neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.”
FBI and Department of Homeland Security investigators searched the homes belonging to XiaoFeng Wang and his wife, Nianli Ma. Neighbors told WTHR that agents announced, “FBI, come out,” before a woman came to the door and agents began questioning her and searching the home. Investigators reportedly spent about four hours collecting boxes of evidence.
Who is XioaFeng Wang?
Wang, an internationally recognized cybersecurity expert, had taught and conducted research for more than 20 years at Indiana University’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing and Engineering.
His contact information remains on the school’s website, but the school has disconnected his phone number and returned his emails as undeliverable. Ma is a lead systems analyst/programmer at the Herman B Wells Library.
In a statement emailed to Straight Arrow News, Indiana University said it was “recently made aware” of a federal investigation into one of its faculty members, and that the university would not be commenting on the investigation or the status of the individual being investigated.
Sources said Indiana University placed Wang on administrative leave several weeks ago, removed his professor profile from their website and deactivated his email account and phone number. These actions occurred before any public law enforcement activity, suggesting an internal university investigation may have preceded federal involvement.
Concerns among Chinese community
A Chinese biologist working at the National Institutes of Health anonymously told the South China Morning Post that more Chinese scientists, especially those in sensitive fields such as artificial intelligence, computer sciences and semiconductors, are expected to be targeted in the future. The biologist also mentioned that the biology and medicine sectors were likely targets.
The biologist referenced the 2018 China Initiative overseen by the Department of Justice, designed to counter Chinese national security threats and reinforce the president’s overall national security strategy.
Under the initiative, the Department of Justice reportedly investigated thousands of scientists suspected of hiding Chinese connections. Authorities dropped most cases due to lack of evidence and scrapped the program in 2022.