Federal authorities have charged a scholar from China at the University of Michigan with attempting to smuggle a biological pathogen into the United States. The incident underscores ongoing national security concerns related to foreign nationals conducting research in the U.S.
The FBI counterintelligence case against the scholar, Yunqing Jian, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, was unsealed in a Detroit federal court on Tuesday. Jian is a natural-born Chinese citizen who earned a doctorate in plant pathology from Zhejiang University. She reportedly received funding from a Chinese government-backed foundation to conduct postdoctoral research, including studies on Fusarium graminearum. This biological pathogen can cause severe diseases in crops like wheat, barley, and rice. The toxins produced by Fusarium graminearum can lead to vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive issues in both livestock and humans.
FBI Director Kash Patel warned that the case highlights how the Chinese Communist Party is actively sending operatives to infiltrate U.S. institutions and target critical resources like the food supply, posing a serious national security threat.
"This case is a sobering reminder that the Chinese Communist Party continues to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate our institutions and target our food supply, an act that could cripple our economy and endanger American lives," Patel said. "Smuggling a known agroterrorism agent into the U.S. is not just a violation of law, it’s a direct threat to national security. I commend the FBI Detroit Division and our partners at CBP for stopping this biological threat before it could do real damage."
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According to prosecutors, Liu smuggled the biological pathogen into the U.S. upon arriving at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
An FBI special agent wrote in the criminal filing that Jian’s boyfriend made false statements to Customs and Border Protection officers about the purpose of his visit to the United States.
“When Customs and Border Protection officers questioned Liu, he made false statements to CBP officers about the purpose of his visit to the United States, and his knowledge of the existence of the biological pathogen in his possession," the FBI special agent stated.
The FBI agent stated that Liu eventually admitted to smuggling the biological pathogen into the U.S. to conduct research at a University of Michigan lab where Jian worked.
In March 2024, Liu applied for a B2 tourist visa to enter the United States. On the application, he was asked, “Do you seek to engage in espionage, sabotage, export control violations, or any other illegal activity while in the United States?” Liu answered “no,” and his visa was approved. Four months later, in July 2024, he arrived in Michigan.
During an inspection upon his arrival, an officer discovered a note written in Chinese, a round piece of filter paper, and four baggies containing small clumps of reddish plant material. When questioned about the items, he initially claimed someone must have placed them in his bag. However, under further questioning, he admitted that the materials were different strains of the pathogen Fusarium graminearum. He explained that the plan was to clone the strains and produce more samples if the experiments on the reddish plant material failed.
“Liu stated that he intentionally hid the samples in his backpack because he knew there were restrictions on the importation of the materials,” the FBI agent wrote. “Liu confirmed that he had intentionally put the samples in a wad of tissues so CBP officers would be less likely to find and confiscate them, and he could continue his research in the United States.”
Liu and Jian discuss in text messages in 2022 about smuggling the pathogen into the U.S.
“Where to put it? Jian wrote.
“Just put it in your shoes,” Liu wrote.
“I stuffed them in the shoes,” Jian responded.
Interim U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon called the actions of the Chinese nationals a serious national security threat.
“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, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.”
This comes after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that he would be "aggressively" revoking the student visas for Chinese nationals. He said it would include those connected to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
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