3 days ago
Chinese national tried smuggling pathogen through Detroit Metro Airport, Feds say
The Brief
Two Chinese nationals have been charged in connection with attempting to smuggle a dangerous pathogen into the U.S.
The couple were associated with the University of Michigan and allegedly wanted to conduct research on the pathogen at one of the school's labs.
The pathogen, identified as Fusarium graminearum, causes symptoms known as "head blight."
(FOX 2) - Two Chinese citizens have been charged in connection with attempting to smuggle a form of fungus that is classified as a "potential agroterrorism weapon."
The pathogen was allegedly brought through Detroit Metro Airport, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Detroit said.
Big picture view
Two citizens of China, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, were charged with conspiracy to smuggle goods into the U.S., as well as making false statements and visa fraud.
They were named in a criminal complaint that was unsealed Tuesday after their arrest by the FBI. The U.S. attorney says Jian was employed by the University of Michigan and that her boyfriend, Liu had attempted to bring the pathogen into the U.S. so he could conduct research at one of the school's laboratories.
According to the complaint, Jian was funded by the Chinese government to work on the pathogen, identified as Fusarium graminearum.
He allegedly lied about bringing the pathogen in before admitting it.
Investigators say liu's iphone contained an article titled "2018 plant pathogen warfare under changing climate conditions – they also uncovered messages between the two conspiring to bring pathogens into the united states.
It's believed he is currently back in China while his girlfriend - Jian is stateside and now facing serious charges.
FOX 2 was not allowed to bring cameras into federal court but the defendant looked scared – she was handcuffed and shackled at the waist – and she closed her eyes as the charges against her were read.
Dig deeper
Both Jian and Liu's research deals with the fungus, receiving funding to better understand its effects on crops around the world.
Jian was later hired by the University of Michigan as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Molecular Plant-Microbe Interaction lab.
The FBI says Liu illegally brought the pathogen into the U.S. in July 2024 after flying through DTW. When the U.S. Customs and Border Protection interviewed Liu about his travel, he lied about the purpose of his visit and what he carried.
US Customs and Border Patrol found a wad of tissues in a pocket in Liu's backpack. Investigators say the tissues concealed a note in Chinese, a round piece of filter paper with a series of circles drawn on it, and four clear plastic baggies with small clumps of reddish plant material inside.
He later admitted to smuggling in Fusarium graminearum so that he could research the pathogen where Jian, his girlfriend, worked.
According to the complaint, Liu wanted to clone strains of the pathogen so it could be studied at the university.
During an interview with the FBI, she also lied about knowing of Liu's actions, the federal complaint says. Federal agents reviewed communications between the two, revealing plans to ship the materials to the U.S.
The backstory
Liu had previously worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas for five years before shifting to the University of Michigan lab in 2023.
Both Liu and Jian did research together at both universities, co-authoring academic articles that included work on the fungus.
According to the complaint, investigators say they found evidence that Jian smuggled biological materials into the United States prior to this -and that she is loyal to the Chinese Communist Party – which, they say, helped finance her studies and research.
Communications between the two reviewed by the FBI included separate discussions about smuggling seeds into the U.S., including one case in August 2022. During that case, Jian traveled to the U.S. from Seoul. She did not declare any biological materials after landing, records show.
In another instance, CBP agents in Louisville destroyed a package of filter paper with unknown substances found in a textbook that had been shipped to Jian's home in Ann Arbor from a different colleague in China.
The pathogen
Fusarium is a type of fungus that is normally harmless. However, some strains of the fungus, including Fusarium graminearum, can produce toxins that affect the health of humans, animals, and plants.
The plant pathogen causes "head blight" which scars wheat, barley, rice, and oat plants, causing them to rot. Some researchers have found it has caused billions of dollars in economic loss around the world due to the loss of crops.
The fungus can enter through flowers each plant sprouts, before infecting the rest of the plant. In addition to devastating the plant, the fungus can contaminate other seeds.
The health problems associated with the pathogen in people and animals include vomiting, liver damage, as well as disrupting their reproductive systems.
The Source
A criminal complaint from the FBI and associated research on the pathogen were cited while reporting this story.
