The Department of Defense on Tuesday announced the arrest of two Chinese researchers alleged to have smuggled a toxic fungus called Fusarium graminearum into the United States.
Zunyong Liu, 34, was arrested after biological pathogens were discovered on his luggage at the Detroit Metro Airport. Liu told authorities that he was visiting his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, 33.
The Justice Department has charged the couple, who are citizens of the People’s Republic of China, with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., making false statements and visa fraud.
“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,” said U.S. attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Fusarium graminearum is a noxious fungus that causes “headblight,” a disease of wheat, barley, maize and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year, according to the Justice Department’s release.
The pathogens could be used as a biological weapon, causing disease or harm to other living organisms such as humans, animals or plants.
Here’s what to know about the arrest of the Chinese nationals and Fusarium graminearum.
Why did Chinese national Zunyong Liu attempt to bring Fusarium graminearum into the US?
The Justice Department’s report alleges that Liu works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on Fusarium graminearum. The report further alleges that Liu originally lied before admitting to smuggling the pathogen into the U.S. so that he could “conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked.”
“The federal charges announced today against Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, both residents of the People’s Republic of China, signify a crucial advancement in our efforts to safeguard our communities and uphold national security,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.
“These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety. Thanks to the exceptional investigative efforts of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force, in close cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations these dangerous activities have been effectively halted. The FBI remains resolutely committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to protect the residents of Michigan and defend the United States against such grave threats.”
Why was Yunqing Jian arrested?
Jian was arrested after it was learned that she and Liu were going to study the pathogen at a University of Michigan laboratory where she worked, according to the complaint.
It is also alleged that Jian received Chinese government funding for her work on the pathogen in China. Information obtained from Jian’s electronics allegedly describes her “membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party,” according to the release.
“These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety. Thanks to the exceptional investigative efforts of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force, in close cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations these dangerous activities have been effectively halted,” said Gibson.
What is Fusarium graminearum?
The Justice Department described Fusarium graminearum as a “potential agroterrorism weapon.”
Fusarium graminearum is a noxious fungus that causes “headblight,” a disease of wheat, barley, maize and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.
Its toxins can cause vomiting, liver damage and reproductive defects in humans and livestock, according to the report.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: What is Fusarium graminearum? Why Chinese researchers were charged for attempted smuggling
Reporting by Brandon Girod, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
