Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods, false statements, and visa fraud
Two Chinese nationals have been accused of smuggling a fungus into the US that officials describe as a “dangerous biological pathogen”.
Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods, false statements, and visa fraud, the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced on Tuesday.
The complaint alleges Mr Liu tried to smuggle the fungus through Detroit airport so he could study it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Ms Jian, worked.
The fungus called Fusarium graminearum can cause a disease in wheat, barley, maize and rice that can wipe out crops and lead to vomiting and liver damage if it gets into food.
The fungus is described in scientific literature as a “potential agroterrorism weapon”, according to the US Attorney’s Office, adding it is responsible for “billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.”
Officials further allege Ms Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her research on the pathogen in China. They also claim she is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.
United States Attorney Jerome F Gorgon Jr described the allegations as 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 in the [sic] heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.”
The investigation was a joint effort between the FBI and US Customs and Border Protection.
Ms Jian is due to appear in court in Detroit, Michigan on Tuesday.
The University of Michigan said in a statement to the BBC that it “has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals”.
University officials are cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation and they “strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission”, according to the statement.
Spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington DC Liu Pengyu told the BBC that he is not familiar with this specific case, but emphasized that Beijing “has always required overseas Chinese citizens to abide by local laws and regulations and will also resolutely safeguard their legitimate rights and interests”.
The charges come amid strained relations between the US and China, and just days after the Trump administration vowed to “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese nationals studying in the US.
Beijing also said Washington “severely violated” a trade truce reached in Geneva last month, when both countries lowered tariffs on goods imported from each other.
Earlier this week, a Chinese student at the University of Michigan was charged for illegally voting in the 2024 election.
