FBI Arrests Two Chinese Nationals for Smuggling Crop-Killing Pathogen into US

The FBI has arrested two Chinese nationals on federal charges for allegedly smuggling a highly dangerous agricultural pathogen into the United States, raising serious national security concerns about biological threats to America’s food supply.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, both citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged Tuesday with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the US, making false statements, and visa fraud by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

Federal prosecutors allege the duo illegally imported Fusarium graminearum, a destructive fungus that causes head blight disease in crucial crops including wheat, barley, maize, and rice.

The pathogen has been responsible for billions of dollars in crop losses worldwide and produces mycotoxins that pose health risks to both humans and livestock.

The fungus was allegedly smuggled through Detroit Metropolitan Airport for research purposes at the University of Michigan, where Jian was employed in a laboratory facility.

Investigators revealed that Jian received funding from the Chinese government to support related research and had documented ties showing loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

Liu, described as Jian’s boyfriend, works at a Chinese university conducting similar pathogen research. While initially denying involvement, Liu later admitted to bringing the fungus into the United States.

“This case involves a fungus that poses a serious risk to global food security and public health,” said Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.

“The alleged smuggling of this biological agent into an American research institution by foreign nationals is a matter of grave national security concern,” Gorgon added.

FBI Director Kash Patel issued a stark warning about the case’s broader implications, confirming the arrests on social media.

“This fungus can cause head blight, a devastating crop disease responsible for billions in losses globally. It poses significant health risks to both humans and livestock,” Patel stated.

Patel praised the investigative work, saying, “Our @FBIDetroit team did excellent work in this case, partnering with @CBP. Justice will be done.”

Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, emphasized the coordinated effort behind the arrests.

“These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety,” Gibson said.

“Thanks to the exceptional investigative work of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force, in close cooperation with US Customs and Border Protection, these dangerous activities have been effectively halted.”

Both suspects are currently in federal custody. If convicted, they face significant prison sentences and possible removal from the United States.

The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities not ruling out additional charges or the involvement of other accomplices.