...
By Anna Skinner and Hollie Silverman
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
Two Chinese nationals allegedly smuggled in a fungus described as a "potential agroterrorism weapon," a press release issued by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday said.
Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, were arrested and face charges of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the country, false statements, as well as visa fraud.
Jian and Lui are a couple, according to the DOJ.
Read More on News
Why It Matters
The fungus they are charged with smuggling is called Fusarium graminearum. It can cause a disease called "head blight," which infects major staple crops such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice, the release said.
Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) already poses a major threat to U.S. agriculture, causing nearly $3 billion in damage since the 1990s, Cornell University's Kerik Cox told Newsweek. Cox said that "strains of Fusarium graminearum can vary widely in aggressiveness."
Aside from the potential harms to humans, the arrest gives President Donald Trump another example of why America needs to crack down on immigration and be stricter on visas being issued to academics.
...
What Is Fusarium Graminearum?
Fusarium graminearum is a fungal pathogen that causes a plant disease known as head blight, which destroys the heads of grain crops and contaminates them with harmful toxins. Classified by scientific literature and federal authorities as a high-risk agent for agricultural bioterrorism, it undermines both food production and safety.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the fungus causes shriveled, discolored grain and produces mycotoxins that render cereal crops unfit for consumption or animal feed.
The economic impact is substantial. The fungus has been linked to massive global losses in agriculture, and its effects extend to food supply chains and international grain trade. Infected grains can carry deoxynivalenol (DON), a toxin also known as vomitoxin, which has been shown to trigger nausea, immune suppression, and reproductive harm in both humans and livestock.
These biological traits make Fusarium graminearum not only a persistent threat to staple crops but also a subject of heightened concern for biosecurity officials.
What to Know
"The pathogen poses a two-fold threat: first, infested cereals show significant reduction in seed quality and yield due to discolored, shriveled 'tombstone' kernels, and secondly, scabby grain is often contaminated with trichothecene and estrogenic mycotoxins...making it unsuitable for food or feed," the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a website about the fungus.
There are 11 species of the fungus, many of which "contain strains capable of causing FHB on wheat," the USDA said. Only one of the species is known to exist in wheat and barley fields in the United States.
Jian is accused in the complaint of having "loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party." The Chinese government gave her funding for research on the fungus.
Liu has been doing research on the fungus at a Chinese university where he works, according to the DOJ. He is accused of lying about bringing the fungus in through the Detroit Metropolitan airport.
What People Are Saying
United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. stated in a press release: "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 in the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme."
U.S. Custom and Border Protection (CBP) Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon stated: "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."
What Happens Next
Jian is scheduled to appear in court in Detroit on Tuesday to face these charges. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) are investigating the case.
Update 6/3/25, 1:30 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
Update 6/4/25, 9:12 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and a new headline.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines