'Agroterrorism': FBI arrests Chinese researcher for smuggling deadly fungus in US

FBI chief Kash Patel on Tuesday claimed to have arrested a Chinese national in US for allegedly smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen into the country.In a social media post on X, Patel said that Yunqing Jian expressed loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and had received funding from the Chinese government for similar work on this pathogen in China.

“The individual, Yunqing Jian, is alleged to have smuggled a dangerous fungus called "Fusarium graminearum," which is an agroterrorism agent, into the US to research at the University of Michigan, where she works,” Patel said."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," he added.Jian’s boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, who works at a university in China, was also named in the complaint and faces charges.“Liu is alleged to have first lied, then admitted, to also smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America — through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport — so that he too could conduct research at the University of Michigan,” said Patel in the same post.Both Jian and Liu have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the US, false statements, and visa fraud.

The investigation was conducted jointly by the FBI and US Customs and Border Protection.Describing the severity of the fungus, Patel said, “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,” adding that it is “responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.”Patel also issued a warning about the broader threat posed by such activities: “CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target food supply in the US, which would have grave consequences... putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.”The charges come amid heightened tensions between the US and China, and just days after the Trump administration pledged to "aggressively" revoke the visas of Chinese nationals studying in the US.