Patel: Chinese nationals charged with smuggling 'known agroterrorism agent' into US is a 'direct threat'

EXCLUSIVE – FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News Digital that the lawsuit involving 2 Chinese nationals who were charged Tuesday with allegedly smuggling a "dangerous biologic pathogen" into the U.S. to survey astatine the University of Michigan laboratory demonstrates a superior nationalist information menace to America's nutrient supply. 

"This lawsuit is simply a sobering reminder that the Chinese Communist Party continues to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate our institutions and people our nutrient supply, an enactment that could cripple our system and endanger American lives," Patel told Fox. "Smuggling a known agroterrorism cause into the U.S. is not conscionable a usurpation of law, it’s a nonstop menace to nationalist security. I commend the FBI Detroit Division and our partners astatine CBP for stopping this biologic menace earlier it could bash existent damage."

University of Michigan probe chap Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu – some citizens of the People's Republic of China – person been charged successful a transgression ailment with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, mendacious statements, and visa fraud, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan announced Tuesday. The probe is being conducted by the FBI and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). 

The mates are accused of smuggling a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which technological lit classifies arsenic a "potential agroterrorism weapon," according to the Justice Department. Federal prosecutors enactment the noxious fungus causes "head blight," a illness of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and "is liable for billions of dollars successful economical losses worldwide each year." 

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Two Chinese nationals were charged with conspiracy and smuggling a "dangerous biologic pathogen" into the U.S. for their enactment astatine a University of Michigan laboratory. (Detroit Free Press/IMAGN)

The Justice Department besides says fusarium graminearum’s toxins origin vomiting, liver damage, and "reproductive defects successful humans and livestock." 

According to the transgression complaint, Jian, 33, allegedly received Chinese authorities backing for her enactment connected the pathogen successful China. 

Federal prosecutors accidental Jian’s electronics incorporate accusation "describing her rank successful and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party." 

Liu, 34, allegedly works astatine a Chinese assemblage wherever helium conducts probe connected the aforesaid pathogen, according to the complaint. Federal prosecutors accidental "he archetypal lied" but past admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into the United States done the Detroit Metropolitan Airport. His alleged extremity was to behaviour probe connected the pathogen astatine the laboratory astatine the University of Michigan wherever his girlfriend, Jian, worked, according to tribunal documents.

The FBI arrested Jian successful transportation with the allegations, and she was scheduled to marque her archetypal national tribunal quality successful Detroit connected Tuesday afternoon, according to the Justice Department. It's unclear whether Liu has been taken into custody.

University of Michigan graduates permission the cardinal passageway astatine the William W. Cook Law Quadrangle connected Tuesday, May 20, 2025.  (Detroit Free Press)

"The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals – including a loyal subordinate of the Chinese Communist Party  – are of the gravest nationalist information concerns," U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon said successful a statement. "These 2 aliens person been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described arsenic a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into successful the heartland of America, wherever they seemingly intended to usage a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme."

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CBP Director of Field Operations Marty Raybon said the transgression charges levied against Jian and Liu "are indicative of CBP’s captious relation successful protecting the American radical from biologic threats that could devastate our cultivation system and origin harm to humans; particularly erstwhile it involves a researcher from a large assemblage attempting to clandestinely bring perchance harmful biologic materials into the United States."

"This was a analyzable probe involving CBP offices from crossed the country, alongside our national partners," Raybon said. "I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders stay unafraid from each types of threats portion safeguarding America’s nationalist information interests."

Jian is inactive listed arsenic a post-doctoral probe chap connected the University of Michigan website arsenic of Tuesday afternoon. Fox News Digital reached retired to the University of Michigan for remark connected Tuesday but did not instantly perceive back. 

Anti-Israel demonstrators stitchery for a mock proceedings against the University of Michigan's Board of Regents connected the university's field successful Ann Arbor, Michigan, connected April 21, 2025.  (JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

The Justice Department noted that a proceedings cannot beryllium held connected felony charges successful a complaint, and a determination volition beryllium made astir whether to question a felony indictment erstwhile the probe is completed.

The charges were announced astatine a clip erstwhile the Trump medication is cracking down connected what they categorize arsenic anti-American radicals astatine U.S. universities, peculiarly overseas students engaged successful antisemitic oregon anti-Israel protests connected campus. 

Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio besides announced helium would beryllium "aggressively" revoking the pupil visas for Chinese nationals, "including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party oregon studying successful captious fields." 

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Related to Harvard University successful particular, the acting manager of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement accused what is possibly America's astir prestigious assemblage of perchance having "collaborated with the CCP and different overseas adversaries."