2 Chinese nationals have been charged with smuggling a ‘potential agroterrorism’ fungus into the U.S. which could destroy crops and poison U.S. citizens.
If consumed, the fungus causse vomiting, liver damage and reproductive defects.
33-year-old University of Michigan lab researcher Yunqing Jian is accused of smuggling the fungus in from China with her boyfriend 34-year-old Zunyong Liu.
Jian is a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party, according to the complaint, and received “Chinese government funding for her work.”
Liu tried to bring the fungus through Detroit Metropolitan Airport for research at a University of Michigan laboratory, where Jian worked as a postdoctoral fellow.
When he arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, he claimed he was visiting Jian, his girlfriend, but didn’t have any work materials.
A secondary screening revealed suspicious items in his luggage: tissues concealing a note in Chinese, a piece of filter paper with circles drawn on it, and four plastic baggies containing reddish plant material later identified as Fusarium graminearum.
Liu initially denied knowledge of the materials but later admitted to smuggling the fungus.
Jian was already working with Fusarium graminearum at the University of Michigan lab, but did not have federal permits to handle the pathogen.
Liu, a researcher at Zhejiang University in China, had worked on the same fungus and planned to start his own lab in China.
The FBI found a document on Jian’s laptop indicating her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals, including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party, are of the gravest national security concerns,” US Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said
“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.”
Fusarium graminearum can contaminate crops and lead to the disease “head blight,” which causes billions of dollars in economic losses each year.
Infected crops often contain mycotoxins that remain stable even after processing.
Jian was arrested. Liu was deported to China.
Jian is facing charges including conspiracy, smuggling goods, making false statements, and visa fraud.
