Two Chinese nationals, Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, face serious charges for allegedly smuggling a fungus deemed a potential agroterrorism weapon into the United States. Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced criminal charges against those two defendants. They are facing federal felony charges, including conspiracy to commit visa fraud, smuggling, and making false statements.
Both Jian, 33, and Liu, 34, had done research on Fusarium graminearum in their native China. This specific fungus is particularly harmful to agriculture and food sources, which is what sparked the concern among U.S. officials in the first place. U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. classified the incident as a “national security” issue. His remarks underscore the seriousness of the alleged March 2020 actions.
There, in July 2024, customs agents at the Detroit airport stopped Liu because he had red powdery plant material in his bag. They immediately arrested him for the offense. Somehow during questioning, Liu allegedly began telling a different story which led officials to deny him entrance and return to him to China. There is even evidence that Jian had already begun experimentally growing Fusarium graminearum in a lab at the University of Michigan. Our invitation for this work was extended long before Liu’s detention. Messages sent back and forth between the two during early 2024 show that Jian was diligently caring for the fungus.
“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.” – Jerome Gorgon Jr
Jian’s been in jail since his initial court appearance, waiting for a bond hearing. The absence of a U.S.-China extradition treaty only adds to this challenge. Liu will probably not face charges unless he comes back to the United States.
This week, the Trump administration is kicking its immigration enforcement up several notches. This case is not unique, as our foreign national clients seeking to enter the country have been under enhanced scrutiny. U.S. Secretary of State and Florida Senator Marco Rubio has promised to get tough by pulling visas from anyone who engages in BDS-type discrimination. He additionally has vowed to deny visas to foreign officials who restrict Americans’ speech on social media.
This incident, while still shocking and upsetting, is not unusual. It exemplifies increasing tensions surrounding national security and immigration policy. Kseniia Petrova, a scientist from Russia, is now at Harvard. She is at risk of deportation because she didn’t declare biological samples upon her return from Paris.
Federal law enforcement authorities are continuing a vigorous investigation of this case. Consequently, the ramifications for academic collaboration and international scientific partnerships could shift amid heightened scrutiny and regulation.