Two Chinese nationals have been accused of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen to the US
Two Chinese nationals have been accused of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen to the United States for research. Per Reuters, the pathogen held possibilities of being used as an agricultural terrorism weapon.
The pathogen has been identified as Fusarium graminearum. The US Department of Justice said that it was classified in scientific literature as a potential agroterrorism weapon. The fungus can cause “head blight” in crops and is responsible for large scale economic losses amounting to billions, each year.
Fusarium graminearum's toxins also cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock.
According to an FBI criminal complaint, Zunyong Liu, 34, a researcher currently in China, brought the fungus into the United States while visiting his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, 33, in July 2024. Liu admitted that he smuggled the pathogen in the United States to conduct research at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend worked. Electronic communications between the two confirmed their statements. They have been accused of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements and visa fraud.
Jian also received Chinese government funding for her work on this pathogen in China. Her electronics also contain information linking her to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Cheyvoryea Gibson, special agent in charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office, said the pair's actions "posed an imminent threat to public safety."
In the release, US Attorney Jerome F Gorgon Jr stated, "The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals--including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party--are of the gravest national security concerns. These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme."
FBI Director Kash Patel also spoke about the incident. The Chinese Communist Party is working to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target the food supply in the US, he said.
The investigation had been a joint undertaking by the FBI and US Customs and Border Protection.
This incident comes amid strained relations between the US and China, especially days after the Trump administration vowed to "aggressively" revoke the visas of Chinese students and researchers in the US.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said in a statement that students affected would include "those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields." The US will also enhance scrutiny "of all future visa applications from the People's Republic of China and Hong Kong," he added.
