2 Chinese nationals charged with smuggling 'potential agroterrorism' fungus into US: DOJ

ABC News ^ | June 3, 2025 | Luke Barr

[crusty old prospector]

Two Chinese nationals have been charged with allegedly smuggling into the U.S. a fungus called "Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon," the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were allegedly receiving Chinese government funding for their research, some of which at the University of Michigan, the Justice Department said.

[crusty old prospector]

Nothing to see here. Move along.

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Probably genetically engineered to not harm "white lice".

[jcon40]

Think of Kamala Harris’s administration in charge of our country right now.

[crusty old prospector]

“The complaint also alleges that Jian’s electronics contain information describing her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. It is further alleged that Jian’s boyfriend, Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen and that he first lied but then admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America — through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport — so that he could conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked,” according to a DOJ press release.

[atc23]

Put the executions on PPV - proceeds go to pay off the debt

[crusty old prospector]

Sorry, I guess I could have excerpted more.

The FBI says it causes “head blight,” a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.

[crusty old prospector]

Give that man a seegar.

[chopperk]

If Kam were President the same people who ran the Country for Joe would be running it for Kam and destroying it at the same time.

[Nextrush]

The Fungus Among Us

[posterchild]

Hopefully they are being held without bail.

[absalom01]

You have to wonder about the ones that don’t get caught.

[grumpygresh]

Why US allows Chinese citizens into the US is beyond me. If Chinese are to be admitted, I would hope there is vigorous screening and monitoring while in the US. No unaccompanied Chinese should be in US.

[House Atreides]

This is nothing new. The Chinese have been introducing organisms of various types to weaken America for a long time now. I’ve personally seen this at the original Maryland pond where “snakehead” fish were first introduced to begin their relentless spread to other waterways.

[Buttons12]

I do all I can to avoid anything made in China. You don’t know what’s in it or on it.
Covid was no accident.

[dennisw]

U-M Chinese Scholar Charged in Conspiracy To Smuggle Dangerous Biological Pathogen Through Detroit Metro Airport

June 03, 2025, 11:52 AM  by  Allan Lengel

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Yunqing Jian (UM photo)

Federal authorities in Detroit on Tuesday announced charges against a Chinese scholar at the University of Michigan and her boyfriend, a scientific researcher, for allegedly conspiring to smuggle a dangerous biological pathogen into the U.S.—a pathogen capable of damaging agricultural crops and causing illness in humans and livestock.

University of Michigan scholar Yunqing Jian, 33, and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, 34, both Chinese citizens, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., making false statements, and visa fraud, interim Detroit U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.

 

https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/33256/u-m_chinese_scholar_charged_in_conspiracy_to_smuggle_dangerous_biological_pathogen_through_detroit_metro_airport

[dennisw]

Perplexity AI>>>

Yunqing Jian is a paid employee of the University of Michigan, holding the rank of postdoctoral research fellow (postdoc) in the Shan Lab within the Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. This is a non-faculty, research-focused position typically held by individuals who have recently completed their Ph.D. and are engaged in advanced training and research under the supervision of a faculty mentor.
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IOW Michigan taxpayers paid for her normal research. Maybe US taxpayers too. While the CCP paid for extra research they wanted done on enhancing an agro-virus. Done gain of function style. (my take on this)

[SecondAmendment]

Every ChiCom citizen is a sleeper espionage agent and should be treated as such.

If I was the CNC, I would immediately declare a national emergency citing the risk to National Security from Chinese Nationals, halt the issuance of any visas and begin deportation of all Chinese non-citizens until the ChicComs publicly guarantee their citizens will not engage in espionage.

[noiseman]

With what Ukraine just pulled off with drones (almost certainly with extensive U.S. intelligence agencies’ help, but that’s another story), Trump should immediately declare a national emergency, confiscate every acre of land near our military bases that the Chinese have recently purchased, and without delay expel every Chinese national from our country. They’re ALL spies and saboteurs, in one form or another.

[Wilderness Conservative]

Time to deport every Chinese citizen and bar any of them from traveling here. Tough sh#t for any Americans kicked out of China as a result.

[noiseman]

I didn’t see your post before posting mine, but we had the same reaction because the truth here, and what needs to be done about it, is very clear.