FBI chief Kash Patel on Tuesday claimed to have arrested a Chinese language nationwide in US for allegedly smuggling a harmful organic pathogen into the nation.In a social media put up on X, Patel stated that Yunqing Jian expressed loyalty to the Chinese language Communist Get together and had acquired funding from the Chinese language authorities for related work on this pathogen in China.“The person, Yunqing Jian, is alleged to have smuggled a harmful fungus referred to as “Fusarium graminearum,” which is an agroterrorism agent, into the US to analysis on the College of Michigan, the place she works,” Patel stated.“This fungus could cause a illness referred to as “head blight,” a illness of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, inflicting vital well being points in each people and livestock. It’s liable for billions of {dollars} in financial losses worldwide annually,” he added.Jian’s boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, who works at a college in China, was additionally named within the criticism and faces costs.“Liu is alleged to have first lied, then admitted, to additionally smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America — by way of the Detroit Metropolitan Airport — in order that he too may conduct analysis on the College of Michigan,” stated Patel in the identical put up.Each Jian and Liu have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling items into the US, false statements, and visa fraud. The investigation was carried out collectively by the FBI and US Customs and Border Safety.Describing the severity of the fungus, Patel stated, “This fungus could cause a illness referred to as “head blight,” a illness of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, inflicting vital well being points in each people and livestock,” including that it’s “liable for billions of {dollars} in financial losses worldwide annually.”Patel additionally issued a warning in regards to the broader risk posed by such actions: “CCP is working across the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American establishments and goal meals provide within the US, which might have grave penalties… placing American lives and our financial system at critical danger.”The fees come amid heightened tensions between the US and China, and simply days after the Trump administration pledged to “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese language nationals finding out within the US.
