Two Chinese nationals have been arrested and charged in the United States for allegedly smuggling a dangerous agricultural pathogen, raising serious concerns about national security, food safety, and potential foreign interference in American research institutions.
Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34—both citizens of the People’s Republic of China—are facing multiple federal charges including conspiracy, smuggling, visa fraud, and making false statements. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan confirmed the arrests, noting that the pair is accused of unlawfully importing Fusarium graminearum, a potent fungal pathogen that causes head blight in crops such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice.
The implications are alarming. Fusarium graminearum is responsible for massive agricultural losses around the world, amounting to billions of dollars. Even more concerning, the pathogen produces mycotoxins—chemical compounds that pose serious health risks to both humans and animals, contaminating food supplies and animal feed.
“This case involves a fungus that poses a serious risk to global food security and public health,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. “The alleged smuggling of this biological agent into an American research institution by foreign nationals is a matter of grave national security concern.”
According to the criminal complaint, Jian smuggled the fungus through Detroit Metropolitan Airport with the intention of using it at the University of Michigan, where she worked in a lab. Investigators also revealed that Jian had received financial support from the Chinese government for related research and had previously expressed loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Her partner, Zunyong Liu—who conducts similar research at a Chinese university—initially denied involvement but later confessed to bringing the fungus into the U.S.
FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized the broader dangers of the incident. “This fungus can cause head blight, a devastating crop disease responsible for billions in losses globally,” Patel said. “It poses significant health risks to both humans and livestock. 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, credited the success of the operation to close cooperation between intelligence and customs officials. “These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens,” he said. “Thanks to the exceptional investigative work of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force and US Customs and Border Protection, these dangerous activities have been effectively halted.”
Both Jian and Liu remain in federal custody and face substantial prison sentences if convicted. Authorities are continuing to investigate the case, and additional charges or accomplices have not been ruled out.
This case highlights the increasing scrutiny on foreign researchers in sensitive scientific fields, especially when potential dual-use technologies or biological materials are involved. It also underscores the delicate balance between academic openness and national security—a balance that U.S. authorities are clearly revisiting in the wake of rising geopolitical tensions.
