Two Chinese nationals have been charged for allegedly smuggling a lethal biological pathogen into the US, FBI Director Kash Patel revealed on early Wednesday morning (IST). In a social media post, the Trump-appointed official confirmed that the people in question had been identified as Yunqing Jian and Zunyoung Lui.

As per Patel’s notification, Jian was allegedly responsible for illegally bringing a dangerous fungus called “Fusarium graminearum,” which is scientifically classified as a “potential agroterrorism weapon,” into America. The US Justice Department also backed the claim, adding in a press release that she undertook the task to research the fungus at the University of Michigan, where she works.

Who are Yunqin Jian and Zunyoung Liu?

While Yunqing Jian is 33 years old, her boyfriend, Zunyoung Liu is 34 years old. The Department of Justice identified them as citizens of the People’s Republic of China, who were believed to have been receiving Chinese government funding for their research. “The complaint also alleges that Jian’s electronics contain information describing her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party,” stated the official press release. As of Tuesday (US), the 33-year-old was listed as a  post-doctoral research fellow on the University of Michigan website.

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The preliminary information released so far suggests that Liu works at a Chinese university, where he conducts research on the same pathogen. The 34-year-old Chinese national initially lied about his link to the issue. However, he eventually admitted to smuggling the “potential agroterrorism weapon” into the United States through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.

Charges against the Chinese nationals

According to the FBI, both Chinese individuals have been “charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud.” Kash Patel also made it a point to namedrop the Chinese Communist Party in his statement, calling the case a “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… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”

FBI Detroit and the US Customs and Border Protection partnered up to crack the case. The DOJ further said that Jian was scheduled to appear in a Detroit federal court on Tuesday afternoon, marking her initial appearance. Patel’s notification only confirmed Jian’s arrest.

Chinese scientist’s admission to authorities

An official affidavit stated that Zunyoung Liu entered American on July 27, 2024. He then told authorities that he was only visiting his girlfriend in the country, and he would eventually return to China to starts his own lab. “He allegedly said that he had no work materials, but upon a secondary screening of his luggage, authorities found tissues concealed a note in Chinese, a round piece of filter paper with a series of circles drawn on it, and four clear plastic baggies with small clumps of reddish plant material inside,” the complaint added.

When questioned about the materials, he said he had no idea how they ended up in possession, claiming that someone put them there without him finding out. As authorities pressed him further, he admitted to placing them in the bag. The affidavit noted that Liu confessed to intentionally hiding the sample in his bag “because he knew there were restrictions on the importation of the materials.” At the time, he put them in a wad of tissues so that custom officers would be unable to confiscate them.

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What is ‘agroterrorism weapon’ Fusarium graminearum?

“This fungus can cause a disease called “head blight,” a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, causing significant health issues in both humans and livestock. It is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year,” FBI’s Kash Patel explained in his X post.

ScienceDirect details that ‘Fusarium graminearum Schwabe’ is the main pathogen that triggers Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereal crops. “It leads not only to yield and quality losses but also contaminate grains by producing mycotoxins that are hazardous to livestock and humans,” the article adds. The toxins so release can induce vomiting, liver damage and reproductive hazards in humans and livestock.

University of Michigan condemns Chinese scientists seeking to disrupt US security

The University of Michigan issued a statement on late Tuesday afternoon (US time): “We strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission.

“It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals. We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution.”