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The Justice Department charged two Chinese nationals with “conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud.”
Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, are accused of smuggling a “biological pathogen” into the United States for their work at a University of Michigan laboratory.
“The FBI arrested Jian in connection with allegations related to Jian’s and Liu’s smuggling into America a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan stated.
“This noxious fungus causes ‘head blight,’ a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year. Fusarium graminearum’s toxins cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock,” it added.
Will Cain discussed the allegations:
AGROTERRORISM?@willcain on the two Chinese nationals accused of smuggling a “biological pathogen” into the U.S. pic.twitter.com/tqIdnHuJBW
— The Will Cain Show (@WillCainShow_) June 3, 2025
From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan:
According to the complaint, Jian received Chinese government funding for her work on this pathogen in China. 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.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated: “The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns. 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.”
“The federal charges announced today against Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, both residents of the People’s Republic of China, signify a crucial advancement in our efforts to safeguard our communities and uphold national security,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “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. Thanks to the exceptional investigative efforts of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force, in close cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations these dangerous activities have been effectively halted. The FBI remains resolutely committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to protect the residents of Michigan and defend the United States against such grave threats.”
“The FBI counterintelligence case marks the second time in less than a week a Chinese national with ties to UM has been charged with federal crimes,” The Detroit News noted.
The FBI counterintelligence case marks the second time in less than a week a Chinese national with ties to UM has been charged with federal crimes.
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) June 3, 2025
More from The Detroit News:
The smuggling charge carries the stiffest penalty — up to 20 years in federal prison.
Jian made an initial appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon and is being held without bond while awaiting a detention hearing Thursday. Her boyfriend has returned to China.
Jian’s lawyer, Senad Ramovic, told The News in an email that Jian indicated she is retaining private counsel, “but that remains to be seen.”
“I got the case like 30 minutes before the start of court. There’s a lot to digest,” Ramovic said.