Two Chinese nationals are facing multiple federal charges after allegedly smuggling a dangerous crop-destroying fungus into the United States, prompting serious national security concerns over potential agroterrorism.
According to a complaint filed Tuesday, the individuals—Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34—are accused of bringing Fusarium graminearum into the country. The fungus is known to cause devastating plant diseases, particularly in corn, rice, and barley, and is considered a threat to the U.S. food supply.
The case was announced by U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., who said the two Chinese researchers face charges of conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, making false statements, and visa fraud.
Court documents reveal that one of the men had hidden samples of the fungus in his backpack while entering the U.S., a move federal authorities say could have had severe consequences for American agriculture.
“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals — including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party — are of the gravest national security concerns,” Gorgon said in a statement. “These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America.”
According to an FBI affidavit, the researchers intended to study the fungus at a University of Michigan laboratory, though the specific purpose of their research was not disclosed. The complaint notes that Yunqing Jian had received funding from the Chinese government to conduct work on the pathogen while in China.
FBI Director Kash Patel suggested the incident may signal a broader effort by the Chinese Communist Party to target the U.S. food supply.
“I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country,” Patel said in a statement posted to his X account.
“… This fungus can cause a disease called ‘head blight,’ a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, causing significant health issues in both humans and livestock. It is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year,” he added.
WATCH:
Meanwhile, federal authorities said on Sunday the man arrested for a suspected terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado, was prepared to conduct mass murder using homemade explosive devices and a self-fashioned “flamethrower.”
In addition, the FBI says that the suspect, Mohamed Soliman, an Egyptian national in the U.S. illegally, admitted that he intended to “kill” as many “Zionists” as possible at a demonstration to free Israeli hostages that he intentionally targeted.
As reported by Fox News’ Kayleigh McEnany during Monday’s edition of “Outnumbered,” Soliman was found to have had 14 Molotov cocktails on his person along with the flamethrower that he used to injure eight people, at least one critically.
He told authorities he wanted to “kill all Zionist people” and said he wished “they were all dead.”
The FBI has also said that Soliman’s attack has all of the hallmarks of a traditional “lone wolf” assailant, which in and of itself is worrisome.
Soliman, 45, is accused of using homemade incendiary devices to set eight people on fire during a daytime attack at Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall, where the victims had gathered to advocate for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Fox News noted.
WATCH:
Video footage shows a shirtless man, believed to be Soliman, standing threateningly while holding two additional devices after the initial assault, as bystanders recorded the scene. Authorities soon arrived and took him into custody without further incident.
Leave a Reply