FBI Confirms Arrest Of Man Attempting To Smuggle Pathogen Into USA
A stunning federal indictment unsealed this week has pulled back the curtain on what prosecutors are calling an “agroterrorism” threat with staggering national implications.
At the center of the plot: a Chinese scholar at the University of Michigan and her boyfriend, both accused of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen into the United States—one capable of crippling America’s agricultural heartland.
Yunqing Jian, a researcher with ties to the Chinese Communist Party, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, now face a slate of serious charges, including conspiracy, visa fraud, smuggling, and making false statements to federal authorities. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the pair tried to bring Fusarium graminearum—a devastating plant pathogen known to destroy vital crops such as wheat, barley, rice, and maize—into the country last July.
The pathogen causes “head blight,” a disease that already accounts for billions in crop losses annually. But the threat goes beyond economic damage: the pathogen can also produce mycotoxins harmful to humans and livestock, leading to vomiting, liver failure, and reproductive defects.
U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon didn’t mince words, calling the scheme one of the “gravest national security concerns,” and labeling Jian “a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party.” FBI Director Kash Patel echoed the alarm, framing the incident as a calculated move by the CCP to undermine American food security by embedding operatives within U.S. institutions.
The scheme began to unravel at Detroit Metropolitan Airport, where customs officials detained Liu after discovering the pathogen in his possession. Liu initially lied about his travel purpose and the pathogen, but later admitted the truth: he intended to conduct research using a University of Michigan lab where Jian worked.
Prosecutors further allege Jian had received funding from a Chinese government-backed foundation to study the very pathogen they were smuggling.
This is not an isolated incident. The arrest comes on the heels of another case involving a Chinese national at the University of Michigan who illegally cast a ballot in the 2024 election. That student has since fled the country.
The implications of these cases are far-reaching. In response, the Trump administration has vowed to “aggressively revoke” Chinese student visas and crack down on what it calls the CCP’s exploitation of U.S. universities to steal research, gather intelligence, and suppress dissent.