Chinese 'Agroterror' conspiracy against US thwarted: FBI

Washington: Authorities in the United States have announced charges against a Chinese scientist and her boyfriend for allegedly smuggling a dangerous agricultural pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, into the United States. The fungus, described by the FBI as a potential agroterrorism weapon, can devastate staple crops and sicken both livestock and humans.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, both citizens of the People’s Republic of China, face charges including conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F Gorgon, Jr, alongside Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Division, and Marty C Raybon, Director of Field Operations for US Customs and Border Protection.

According to court filings, Jian entered the US last year with the toxic fungus concealed in her backpack.

What is Fusarium graminearum?

Fusarium graminearum is known to cause "head blight," a disease affecting wheat, barley, maize, and rice, leading to billions of dollars in economic losses globally each year. Its toxins can induce vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and animals.

Allegation against the Chinese couple

The complaint alleges that Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her work on this pathogen in China, and her electronic devices reportedly contain information indicating her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.

Her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, who works at a Chinese university researching the same pathogen, initially denied but later admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into the U.S. through Detroit Metropolitan Airport. He allegedly intended to conduct research on the fungus at a laboratory at the University of Michigan where Jian was employed.

'Gravest national security concerns'

United States Attorney Gorgon emphasized the seriousness of the charges. "The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals -- including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns," Gorgon stated. "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."

Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI Detroit Field Office highlighted the collaborative effort that led to 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 efforts of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force, in close cooperation with US Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations these dangerous activities have been effectively halted."

Marty C Raybon, Director of Field Operations for US Customs and Border Protection, underscored CBP's vital role in safeguarding the nation. "Today's criminal charges levied upon Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu are indicative of CBP's critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate our agricultural economy and cause harm to humans; especially when it involves a researcher from a major university attempting to clandestinely bring potentially harmful biological materials into the United States," Raybon stated.