Two Chinese researchers are facing multiple charges for allegedly smuggling a "potential agroterrorism weapon" into the United States, federal authorities announced.
A complaint filed Tuesday identifies the smuggled item as Fusarium graminearum, a fungus that can cause severe plant diseases affecting crops such as corn, rice, and barley.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. stated that Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, both citizens of China, were charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, making false statements, and visa fraud.
"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 in a statement. "These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America."
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According to an FBI affidavit, the researchers had planned to study the pathogen at a University of Michigan laboratory; however, the purpose of their research is not detailed. The complaint states that Jian received Chinese government funding for work on the pathogen in China.
FBI Director Kash Patel indicated that this incident could point to potential targeting of the U.S. food supply by the Chinese Communist Party.
"I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country," Patel said in a statement. "... 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."
The investigation remains ongoing, with the FBI and Customs and Border Protection involved.
