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Chinese Nationals Arrested for Smuggling Crop Pathogen Into US
Progressive Farmer’s Todd Neeley reported that “two Chinese nationals, including a scholar at the University of Michigan, were arrested for allegedly smuggling a pathogen into the U.S. that is known to be destructive to corn, wheat, rice and barley crops, according to a criminal complaint filed in federal court on Monday.”
“Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud, according to a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan,” Neeley reported. “The U.S. Attorney Office in Detroit said in a news release on Tuesday the FBI arrested Jian in connection with the pair’s alleged smuggling into the U.S. of a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon.”
“The complaint filed in federal court, however, does not allege the couple had plans to unleash the pathogen on U.S. farms,” Neeley reported. “According to the complaint, Jian received Chinese government funding for her work on the pathogen in China.”

Reuters’ Maria Tsvetkova, Heather Schlitz and Julie Ingwersen reported that “FBI director Kash Patel said in a post on X that the case was a reminder that China’s ruling Communist Party ‘is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences… putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.'”
How Much of a Threat is Fusarium Graminearum?
ABC News’ Julia Jacobo reported that “federal prosecutors claim that ‘scientific literature classifies [the pathogen] as a potential agroterrorism weapon,’ emphasizing that it is the ‘of the gravest national security concern.'”
“But the pathogen, while a concern for the agricultural industry, is not necessarily among the most significant threats the industry faces, plant pathology experts told ABC News,” Jacobo reported. “Breakouts of Fusarium graminearum infections already naturally occur in dozens of U.S. states — basically any state that produces wheat and barley — and has been established in the U.S. for at least 125 years, Caitlyn Allen, a professor emeritus of plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, told ABC News. In addition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture keeps a list of potential agroterrorism agents, and Fusarium graminearum is not on that list, Allen said.”
“‘We’re not talking about something that just got imported from China,’ Allen said, ‘People should not be freaking out,'” Jacobo reported.
“Fusarium graminearum is not at the top of the list of concerning pathogens, Gary Bergstrom, a professor emeritus of plant pathology, told ABC News” according to Jacobo’s reporting. “‘Compared to some other things, I don’t think the risk is as high,’ he said. ‘It’s not zero, but it certainly wouldn’t be as much concern as the accidental or otherwise introduction of some serious diseases that we don’t have now.'”
What is Fusarium Graminearum?
The Associated Press’ Adithi Ramakrishnan reported that “fusarium graminearum causes a disease called Fusarium head blight that can wipe out cereal crops such as wheat, barley and maize and rice — it inflicts $1 billion in losses annually on U.S. wheat and barley crops, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.”
“It isn’t the only fungus to cause Fusarium head blight, but it’s the most common culprit in the U.S. The fungus infects plants early in the growing season, shriveling wheat grains and blanching crop heads a whitish-tan color,” Ramakrishnan reported. “It also causes a toxin to accumulate in wheat kernels that can make them unsafe for people and livestock to eat.”
“Nicknamed “vomitoxin” because it’s most known for causing livestock to throw up, it can also cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache and fever in animals and people,” Ramakrishnan reported.