₦airaland Forum

Two Chinese nationals have been accused of smuggling a fungus into the US that officials describe as a "dangerous biological pathogen".

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods, false statements, and visa fraud, the US Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced on Tuesday.

The complaint alleges Mr Liu tried to smuggle the fungus through Detroit airport so he could study it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Ms Jian, worked.

The fungus called Fusarium graminearum can cause a disease in wheat, barley, maize and rice that can wipe out crops and lead to vomiting and liver damage if it gets into food.

The fungus is described in scientific literature as a "potential agroterrorism weapon", according to the US Attorney's Office, adding it is responsible for "billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year."

Officials further allege Ms Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her research on the pathogen in China. They also claim she is a member of the Chinese Communist Party.

United States Attorney Jerome F Gorgon Jr described the allegations as of the "gravest national security concerns".

"These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a 'potential agroterrorism weapon' into in the [sic] heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme."

The investigation was a joint effort between the FBI and US Customs and Border Protection.

Ms Jian is due to appear in court in Detroit, Michigan on Tuesday.

The BBC has reached out to the University of Michigan and the Chinese embassy in Washington DC for comment.

The charges come amid strained relations between the US and China, and just days after the Trump administration vowed to "aggressively" revoke the visas of Chinese nationals studying in the US.

Beijing also said Washington "severely violated" a trade truce reached in Geneva last month, when both countries lowered tariffs on goods imported from each other.

Earlier this week, a Chinese student at the University of Michigan was charged for illegally voting in the October 2024 election.

Source;
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gkdppymk4o.amp


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2ToNdEf1wE?si=XRwLXWmW_Uiey2b2

Protect your borders. If they caught this one, how many more slipped through?

This is terrorism. Cripple the economy from the inside and watch society collapse. Remind me of COVID!!!

The US feel china is more of a threat to them than the putin

TACO is desperate to get China’s attention! 🤣🤣🤣

How on earth were they able to detect a fungus??
It's not as if it were cocaine or some drug

CoronaVirusPro:
TACO is desperate to get China’s attention! 🤣🤣🤣

Go cry on the Hamas thread. This is above your level of comprehension!😂😂

QuinQ:
How on earth were they able to detect a fungus??
It's not as if it were cocaine or some drug

Look up there. It was concealed in their personal belongings, hidden inside tissues and plastic bag to avoid detection.

So, it was more of a physical inspection thing and behavioral cues.

Agroterrorism.

This is scary, I have been seeing some news of something deadlier than corona virus lately.

I hope you know you will be accused of same thing if you decide to bring our tasty dried fish into the US concealed to evade custom

Hmmmmmmmmmm 😮, please post their pictures

China don buy market

I've never liked these Chinese after that covid incident

Chai

Lol…twice on fp…wetin happen

Na wa o. This is so bad, it appeared twice on FP concurrently

This case is a serious national security concern.
Smuggling a dangerous agricultural pathogen into the U.S. is deeply alarming.
*Fusarium graminearum* can destroy major food crops and harm human health.
Using a U.S. lab to study it without proper clearance raises major red flags.
Allegations of foreign government funding add to the concern.
It highlights the growing risk of agroterrorism and biosecurity threats.
Research institutions must tighten oversight and safeguard sensitive projects.
This incident could strain already tense U.S.-China relations further.
The investigation must be thorough, transparent, and just.
National security must never be compromised in the name of science.

DeltaBachelor:
Na wa o. This is so bad, it appeared twice on FP concurrently

To show the seriousness of the matter

Kk

Sam42222:
The US feel china is more of a threat to them than the putin

Ever since Ukraine, a general said they don't see Putin as a near peer Adversary

Only god knows what they have brought to Nigeria

LeeSmart:
I've never liked these Chinese after that covid incident

This sounds racist

This would have entered Nigeria without traces

Is another one about to go down?

Fungus for agroterrorism.

With advancement comes the quest for furtherance.

If the news is true meh this is 👎

Deport all these illegal migrants now. Their plan is to destroy the US

With time, Havard will have a lot to explain

The ideology of that China Communist Party is something else.
Their aim is to take over the world.

In China you dare not criticize the party in any Chinese Social Media Platform or else you will be tracked and arrested.

The BRICS single currency will never work

RealLordZeus:
I hope you know you will be accused of same thing if you decide to bring our tasty dried fish into the US concealed to evade custom

That's how corona virus became real, stop being nonchalant, try to be a leader in your life.

Baronthecelebri:
Hmmmmmmmmmm 😮, please post their pictures

You think say na Nigeria police

Hmmm!

They may be just be on research!

I agree many of them are corrupt but you can't just conclude they wanted to cripple the economy with just this! They should have disclosed the fungi! And also perfected their documents!