DETROIT, MI – Two Chinese nationals have been charged with allegedly smuggling a fungus into the U.S. that is classified as a “potential agroterrorism weapon,” according to the Justice Department said Tuesday.
Yunqing Jiang, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were allegedly receiving Chinese government funding for their research, some of it at the University of Michigan, officials said. The pathogen was smuggled through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport.
The noxious fungus causes “head blight,” a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide every year. If the fungus is taken in by humans or livestock, it can cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects.
“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals — including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party — are 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 heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgan said.
In a statement from the University of Michigan, officials “strongly condemn any actions that seek to cause harm, threaten national security or undermine the university’s critical public mission,” the school’s statement said.
“It is important to note that the university has received no funding from the Chinese government in relation to research conducted by the accused individuals. We have and will continue to cooperate with federal law enforcement in its ongoing investigation and prosecution,” the statement continued.
