SRI
  • WHO WE ARE
    • ABOUT SRI
    • WRITE FOR US
  • NEWS
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Americas
    • Europe
    • Kashmir
    • Middle East
    • Pakistan
    • World
  • ARTICLES
    • BLOG
    • RESEARCH ARTICLES
  • INFOGRAPHICS
    • Constitutional Amendment
    • Covid-19
    • Dams
    • Economy
    • Environment
    • Fact of the day
    • Global Facts and Statistics
    • History through lens
    • Israel Attack
    • Kashmir
    • Learn the term
    • Middle East
    • Military
    • Nuclear
    • Pakistan
    • Personality
    • Quote of the day
    • Space
    • Theory Thursday
    • Today in history
    • Women in international world
  • WEB INFOGRAPHICS
  • CONTACT US
Font ResizerAa
SRISRI
Search
  • INFOGRAPHICS
  • WEB INFOGRAPHICS
  • ARTICLES
  • NEWS
    • Asia
    • Pakistan
    • Americas
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • World
    • Ukraine crisis
Follow US
Copyright © 2024 Strategic Research institute
AmericasNEWSWorld

Chinese Couple Charged With Smuggling Toxic Fungus Into US

SRI NewsDesk
By SRI NewsDesk Published June 4, 2025
Share
Chinese couple charged with smuggling toxic fungus into US
The flags of the United States and China fly from a lamppost in the Chinatown neighbourhood of Boston, Massachusetts, US

US federal prosecutors have charged two Chinese nationals with smuggling a toxic fungus into the United States, which authorities claim could be turned into a “potential agroterrorism weapon”.

The charges against Jian Yunqing, 33, and Liu Zunyong, 34, two researchers from China, were unsealed by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan on Tuesday. The pair face additional charges of conspiracy, visa fraud and providing false statements to investigators.

Prosecutors allege that Liu smuggled the fungus, called Fusarium graminearum, into the US so he could carry out research at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Jian, worked.

Fusarium graminearum causes “head blight”, a disease in crops like wheat, barley, maize and rice, and is “responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year”, according to the charges.

The pathogen also poses a danger to humans and livestock, and can cause “vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects”.

This image provided by United States District Court For The Eastern District Of Michigan shows toxic plant pathogens that a Chinese scientist entered the U.S. last year stashed in his backpack, federal authorities said Tuesday, June 3, 2025, as they filed charges against him and a girlfriend who worked in a lab at the University of Michigan. (United States District Court For The Eastern District Of Michigan via AP) A
Allegedly toxic plant pathogens that a Chinese scientist entered the US with last year, federal authorities said on Tuesday

The investigation was carried out by US Customs and Border Protection and the FBI, whose mandate includes investigating foreign and economic espionage as well as counterterrorism.

Jian was earlier arrested by the FBI and is due to appear in federal court this week, where her ties to the Chinese government are also under scrutiny at a time of increased paranoia within the US government about possible Chinese infiltration.

Jian allegedly received funding from the Chinese government to carry out research on the same toxic fungus in China, according to the charges.

The Associated Press news agency, citing the FBI, said that Liu was sent back to China from Detroit in July 2024 after airport customs authorities found the fungus in his backpack. He later admitted to bringing the material into the US to carry out research at the University of Michigan, where he had previously worked alongside his girlfriend, the AP said.

During their investigation, the FBI found an article on Liu’s phone titled “Plant-Pathogen Warfare under Changing Climate Conditions”. Messages on the couple’s phones also indicated that Jian was aware of the smuggling scheme, and later lied to investigators about her knowledge.

It is unlikely that Liu will face extradition as the US does not have an extradition treaty with China.

FBI director Kash Patel claimed on X that China was “working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences”.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The University of Michigan on Tuesday issued a brief statement condemning “any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security, or undermine the university’s critical public mission”.

The case comes just a week after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to start “aggressively” revoking the visas of Chinese students in the US on national security grounds.

Targeted students include Chinese nationals with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), an institution that counts about 100 million members. While some Chinese may join for ideological reasons, membership in the CCP comes with perks like access to better jobs and educational opportunities.

It is not uncommon for students from elite backgrounds, like those studying in the US, to also be members of the CCP.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has previously pledged to “firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests” of its students studying overseas following news of the visa crackdown.

TAGGED:AgroterrorismBioterrorismFBI InvestigationNational SecurityUS China Relations
Share This Article
Facebook Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article El Salvador convicts army officers for 1982 killing of 4 Dutch journalists El Salvador Convicts Army Officers For 1982 Killing Of 4 Dutch Journalists
Next Article As Trump raises deportation quotas, advocates fear an expanding ‘dragnet’ As Trump Raises Deportation Quotas, Advocates Fear An Expanding ‘Dragnet’
Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!

Our commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and delivering breaking news as it happens has earned us the trust of a vast audience.
268kLike
90.7kFollow
17.9kFollow
4.9kSubscribe
1kFollow

Popular Posts

24th Amendment To The 1973

By SRI NewsDesk

Zambia Government’s Neglect Exposing More Children To Lead Poison, HRW Says

The failure of Zambia’s government to intervene against “blatant violations” of environmental laws is worsening…

By SRI NewsDesk

Large-scale demonstration in Jordan calls for ending the peace accord with Israel

For the sixth day in a row, thousands of demonstrators march in front of the…

By SRI NewsDesk

You Might Also Like

Asian countries most vulnerable to Hormuz blockade
AsiaNEWS

Asian Countries Most Vulnerable To Hormuz Blockade

TOKYO: Around 84 percent of oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz is destined for Asia, leaving…

By SRI NewsDesk
JUI senator submits resolution against govt’s Trump Nobel nomination
AmericasNEWS

JUI Senator Submits Resolution Against Govt’s Trump Nobel Nomination

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Kamran Murtaza on Monday submitted a resolution in the Senate against…

By SRI NewsDesk
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,216
EuropeNEWS

Russia-Ukraine War: List Of Key Events, Day 1,216

Here is how things stand on Tuesday, June 24 : Fighting The official death toll…

By SRI NewsDesk
TLP Poonch Division organizes a historic conference on the finality of the prophethood in Kashmir and Palestine in Rawalakot
KashmirNEWS

TLP Poonch Division Organizes A Historic Conference On The Finality Of The Prophethood In Kashmir And Palestine In Rawalakot

Rawalakot, (Parliament Times) : Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan Poonch Division organized a historic conference on the finality of…

By SRI NewsDesk
Show More
SRI
Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram Linkedin

About Us

 

Strategic Research Institute (SRI) is a non-partisan, non-political and non-governmental research organization based in Islamabad. 

Top Categories
  • BLOG
  • INFOGRAPHICS
  • NEWS
  • RESEARCH ARTICLES
Useful Links
  • ABOUT SRI
  • CONTACT US
  • WRITE FOR US
Copyright © 2025
Strategic Research institute
 
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?