Fusarium Graminiaram of grain crops. Credit: Zso-Jo, Shutterstock
Two Chinese researchers have been charged with smuggling “biological pathogens” into the US, and authorities say it can be used as a weapon for agroterrorism (destroying food supply).
A suspect intended to study the pathogen at the University of Michigan Institute, according to criminal charges filed Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
Fungi related to destruction of crops smuggled into the US
Suspects Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, face multiple charges, including conspiracy, visa fraud, false statements and contraband to the United States. The fungus in question, Fusarium graminearumcan infect crops such as corn, wheat, barley, and rice. According to the US Lawyer’s office in the Eastern District of Michigan, pathogens are “in charge of billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year,” and are described in the scientific literature as “a potential weapon of agroterrorism.” CNN.
FBI Director Kash Patel warned that the incident was “a calm reminder that CCP is working 24 hours a day to infiltrate US agencies and deploy operatives and researchers to target our food supplies.”
Suspects related to Chinese state and university research
According to the documents, Liu attempted to smuggle multiple samples of fungi through Detroit Metropolitan Airport while traveling on a tourist visa in July 2024. Identified as his girlfriend, Jian works as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Michigan’s Molecular Plant Microbe Interaction Research Institute, previously hosting research posts in Texas.
Files found on Jian’s mobile phone include an “annual self-assessment form” detailing the progress of her research and a signed royalty oath to the Communist Party of China (CCP). Radio Free Asia.
The document claims to be about Jian’s research. Fusarium graminearum It was funded by the Chinese government at Z Jiang University in China. US lawyer Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. called accusations of “the most serious national security concerns.” BBC.
Devices indicate multiple smuggling attempts
Authorities say the electronics seized from Liu indicate that in 2024 he and Jian coordinated multiple smuggling attempts. Liu denied knowing what the material was before hiding the sample and admitting plans to clone the fungal strain at the University of Michigan Lab. Jian is currently in FBI custody and appears in court on Tuesday with a custody hearing scheduled for Thursday. Li is thought to be in China.
The University of Michigan said it “strongly condemns actions aimed at causing harm, threatening national security, and undermining the university’s important mission,” confirming it had not received Chinese government funding related to the research.
According to BBC “A Chinese student at the University of Michigan was charged with voting illegally in the 2024 election,” he reported.
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