Chinese Nationals Arrested for Smuggling Pathogen into US

Chinese Nationals Arrested with Smuggling Crop-Damaging Fungus into the United States

June 3, 2025, 5:33 PM EDT

Uyghur Times– June 4, 2025

In a development raising serious concerns about agricultural biosecurity and potential risks to U.S. food security, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on June 3, 2025 (with the press release dated June 4, 2025), that two Chinese nationals have been charged in connection with the alleged smuggling of a dangerous plant pathogen into the country.

According to the official announcement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, both citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit an offense against or to defraud the United States, smuggling goods into the United States, making false statements, and visa fraud.

The pathogen involved is Fusarium graminearum, a fungus that causes Fusarium head blight (also known as scab), a devastating disease affecting major cereal crops including wheat, barley, maize (corn), and rice. The DOJ described it as a “noxious fungus” responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year due to reduced crop yields and contamination with mycotoxins. These toxins can lead to health issues such as vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock if present in contaminated food or feed.

Scientific literature, as referenced in the charging documents, classifies Fusarium graminearum as a potential agroterrorism weapon because of its capacity to cause widespread damage to agriculture.

The allegations stem from an incident in which Zunyong Liu, described as Jian’s boyfriend, attempted to bring samples of the fungus into the United States through Detroit Metropolitan Airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered the biological materials concealed in his backpack (reportedly hidden in tissues or similar items). Liu initially denied possessing the pathogen but later admitted he intended to deliver it for research at a laboratory at the University of Michigan, where Jian worked as a postdoctoral fellow.

Jian, who has conducted research on Fusarium graminearum in China (including receiving Chinese government funding for such work), allegedly conspired in the smuggling effort. Investigators reportedly found materials on her electronic devices indicating her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Liu is affiliated with a Chinese university where he also conducts research on the same pathogen.

Federal authorities stressed that importing such biological organisms requires a permit from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which neither individual obtained. The University of Michigan laboratory in question did not hold the necessary permits for handling or importing this fungus.

The FBI arrested Jian in connection with the case, while Liu was denied entry and processed for removal from the United States. The investigation is being conducted by the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, with a focus on protecting national security and the agricultural economy.

U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., stated: “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.”

This case underscores growing U.S. concerns over unauthorized transfers of sensitive biological materials by foreign nationals, particularly in fields related to agriculture and food security. The DOJ emphasized that such violations represent a grave threat, even as experts note that Fusarium graminearum is a naturally occurring pathogen already present in many U.S. agricultural areas.

For the full official announcement, refer to the U.S. Department of Justice press release: Chinese Nationals Charged with Conspiracy and Smuggling a Dangerous Biological Pathogen into the U.S..

Source: U.S. Department of Justice