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- 2 Kern County Teen Allegedly Abducted by Santa Ana Man She Met on Fortnite
- 3 Senate passes bipartisan bill upping penalties for criminals working for foreign entities
- 4 Two Incidents, One Fungus
- 5 Incriminating Messages and Intent
- 6 Federal Response and National Security Warnings
- 7 Motives: Malice or Misjudgment?
- 8 Broader Implications: A Pattern of Threat
Authorities are raising alarms after a Chinese couple allegedly attempted to smuggle a dangerous crop pathogen into the United States—twice—through Detroit Metropolitan Airport, with the intent of conducting research at a University of Michigan laboratory.
The plant fungus, Fusarium graminearum, causes head blight, a disease affecting wheat, barley, maize, and rice. In both humans and livestock, consumption of contaminated crops can result in vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive harm. The pathogen is responsible for billions in agricultural losses globally each year.
Two Incidents, One Fungus
According to an FBI court filing, Zunyong Liu was stopped at the Detroit airport and returned to China last year after officials found suspicious materials in his luggage. More recently, his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, was arrested on June 8 after arriving from China, where she is pursuing an advanced degree at Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan.
Jian had reportedly planned to spend a year at the University of Michigan as a postdoctoral fellow, funded by the Chinese government, to conduct research on the same pathogen. Customs officials intercepted shipments from her luggage that included plant samples, a concealed envelope inside a book, and electronic messages referencing her loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Incriminating Messages and Intent
Investigators uncovered WeChat messages dating back to 2022, in which Jian and Liu openly discussed smuggling seeds into the U.S.
“I put them in my Martin boots,” Liu wrote. “In a small bag. The ziplock bag. Very small.”
“That’s good,” Jian replied. “Just put it in your shoes.”
Liu initially denied knowledge of the fungus found in his bag, claiming someone else must have put it there. But after further questioning, he admitted he had intentionally hidden the samples, knowing they violated U.S. import regulations. He described the material as different strains of the fungus, brought as backups in case experiments failed.
Liu has since disappeared, and the U.S. government has issued a warrant for his arrest.
Federal Response and National Security Warnings
Though U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. has not charged the couple with agrterrorism, he emphasized the gravity of the case:
“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns,” Gorgon 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.”
The charges include conspiracy to smuggle goods and making false statements to U.S. authorities.
Marty C. Raybon, Director of Field Operations at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, echoed the concern:
“These criminal charges highlight CBP’s vital role in protecting the American public from biological threats that could devastate our agriculture and harm humans—especially when a university researcher tries to covertly bring dangerous biological materials into the country.”
Cheyvoryea Gibson, FBI Special Agent in Charge in Detroit, added:
“The federal charges against Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu mark a crucial advancement in our efforts to safeguard our communities and uphold national security.”
Motives: Malice or Misjudgment?
Dr. Caitilyn Allen, a plant pathologist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, offered a more charitable interpretation:
“It appears they were planning to do experiments in a university lab studying plant disease resistance—likely aimed at breeding crops that don’t need fungicides. This seems more like bad judgment driven by scientific enthusiasm than agriterrorism.”
However, others warn the case deserves closer scrutiny. Though Fusarium graminearum already exists in the U.S., a modified, treatment-resistant strain could severely damage American farms.
Broader Implications: A Pattern of Threat
The New York Post likened this case to previous concerns over China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology, where U.S.-funded gain-of-function research on SARS-CoV-2 was suspected of leading to the COVID-19 pandemic—a theory many U.S. intelligence agencies now consider the most likely origin.
House Intelligence Committee Chair Rick Crawford (R-AR) stated:
“The CCP will use every tool in its warfare toolbox to cripple the United States. A pathogen like this, if successfully introduced into a crop, could inflict significant economic loss for U.S. agriculture producers.”
FBI Director Kash Patel warned on X:
“This case is 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… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”
