Chinese national arrested for smuggling 'dangerous pathogen' into US, confirms FBI chief Kash Patel

Two Chinese nationals have been arrested in the US for allegedly smuggling a highly dangerous agricultural pathogen into the country.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, both Chinese citizens, have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling, making false statements, and visa fraud, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.

“New… I can confirm that the FBI arrested a Chinese national within the United States who allegedly smuggled a dangerous biological pathogen into the country,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X.

Patel said, “The individual, Yunqing Jian, is alleged to have smuggled a dangerous fungus called ‘Fusarium graminearum,’ which is an agroterrorism agent, into the US to research at the University of Michigan, where she works. 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.”

Federal prosecutors said Jian and Liu illegally brought in Fusarium graminearum, a fungus that causes head blight, a harmful disease that damages crops such as wheat, barley, maize, and rice.

“This case involves a fungus that poses a serious risk to global food security and public health,” said Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.

“The alleged smuggling of this biological agent into an American research institution by foreign nationals is a matter of grave national security concern.”