Fusarium graminearum in cereal crops. Credit: Zso-jo, Shutterstock
Two Chinese researchers have been charged with smuggling a “biological pathogen” into the United States, which officials say could be used as an agroterrorism weapon (destroying food supplies).
The suspects intended to study the pathogen at a University of Michigan laboratory, according to a criminal complaint filed on Tuesday, June 3, 2025.
Fungus linked to crop destruction smuggled into the US
The suspects, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, face multiple charges including conspiracy, visa fraud, false statements, and smuggling goods into the US. The fungus in question, Fusarium graminearum, can infect crops like maize, wheat, barley, and rice. According to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, the pathogen is “responsible for billions of dollars in economic loss worldwide each year” and has been described in scientific literature as a “potential agroterrorism weapon,” as reported by CNN.
FBI Director Kash Patel warned that the case was “a sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences.”
Suspects linked to Chinese state and university research
According to the document, Liu attempted to smuggle multiple samples of the fungus via Detroit Metropolitan Airport in July 2024 while travelling on a tourist visa. Jian, identified as his girlfriend, works as a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan’s Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction Laboratory, and had previously held a research post in Texas.
Files found on Jian’s phone included an “annual self-assessment form” detailing her research progress, along with a signed loyalty oath to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), a document often required of students receiving government scholarships, according to Radio Free Asia.
The document alleges that Jian’s research on Fusarium graminearum at Zhejiang University in China was funded by the Chinese government. US Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr called the charges “of the gravest national security concerns,” cited by the BBC.
Devices show multiple smuggling attempts
Authorities say electronic devices seized from Liu show he and Jian coordinated multiple smuggling attempts, including one in 2022. When questioned in 2024, Liu allegedly denied knowing what the materials were, before admitting he hid the samples and planned to clone fungal strains at the University of Michigan lab. Jian is currently in FBI custody and appeared in court on Tuesday, with a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday. Liu is believed to be in China.
The University of Michigan stated they “strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission” and confirmed they did not receive any Chinese government funding related to the research.
According to the BBC report, ‘Earlier this week, a Chinese student at the University of Michigan was charged for illegally voting in the 2024 election.’
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