As tensions between the U.S. and China rise, two Chinese researchers stand accused of attempting to unleash an “agroterrorism weapon” on American soil.
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This dangerous development exposes vulnerabilities in our national security and highlights broader espionage concerns involving Chinese nationals.
The U.S. Justice Department charged Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu with trying to smuggle Fusarium graminearum, a highly destructive fungus, into the United States.
This fungus severely affects staple crops like wheat, barley, and maize and is a known agroterrorism weapon.
Jian was arrested in Detroit while Liu is believed to be in China.
The complaint alleges that Jian, a researcher at the University of Michigan, received funding from the Chinese government and, along with Liu, her romantic partner, engaged in smuggling efforts under the directive of the Chinese Communist Party.
Jian is a supposed loyal member, and Liu works at a Chinese university researching the same pathogen.
The complaint also alleges that Jian’s electronics contain information describing her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party.
It is further alleged that Jian’s boyfriend, Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen and that he first lied but then admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America — through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport — so that he could conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked, the DOJ reveals.
This incident is part of broader U.S. efforts to prevent Chinese nationals from stealing scientific data from American institutions.
With Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., interim U.S. attorney in Detroit, emphasizing the national security threat, these actions point to an ongoing pattern of espionage related to critical and sensitive technologies.
“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,” declared U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon.
This case underscores the fragility of U.S. agriculture and the necessity for stringent safeguards against bioterrorism.
As the Trump administration pursues measures to revoke student visas for Chinese nationals, citing espionage concerns, this incident may signal further diplomatic strain but remains essential for safeguarding national sovereignty.
A Chinese scientist entered the U.S. last year with a toxic fungus stashed in his backpack, federal authorities said Tuesday as they filed charges against him and a girlfriend who worked in a lab at the University of Michigan. https://t.co/8qthrZgOJa pic.twitter.com/VPXFj6tXJu
— NBC4 Columbus (@nbc4i) June 3, 2025
