Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“US federal prosecutors have charged two Chinese nationals with smuggling a toxic fungus into the United States, which authorities claim could be turned into a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon.’ The charges against Jian Yunqing, 33, and Liu Zunyong, 34, two researchers from China, were unsealed by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan on Tuesday. The pair face additional charges of conspiracy, visa fraud and providing false statements to investigators. Prosecutors allege that Liu smuggled the fungus, called Fusarium graminearum, into the US so he could carry out research at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Jian, worked. Fusarium graminearum causes ‘head blight,’ a disease in crops like wheat, barley, maize and rice, and is ‘responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year,’ according to the charges.” (06/04/25)
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/4/chinese-couple-charged-with-smuggling-toxic-fungus-into-us