Chinese scholar at UM tried to smuggle biological pathogen into the U.S., feds say

[SuperDS77]

Wow, thankful they caught this potential terrorism before it came to fruition. Perhaps we should reduce some of the foreign visas from adversarial countries to our universities.

If guilty hopefully there are some very serious consequences.

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www.detroitnews.com

"
Federal agents have arrested a University of Michigan scholar from China on charges she tried to smuggle a biological pathogen into the U.S. characterized as a potential agricultural terrorism weapon that can be used for targeting food crops.

The FBI counterintelligence case against UM scholar Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, was unsealed in federal court in Detroit on Tuesday and marks the second time in less than a week a Chinese national with ties to the university has been charged with federal crimes.

On Friday, prosecutors unsealed a criminal case against a former University of Michigan Chinese student who voted illegally in the 2024 election, saying he fled the U.S. to avoid prosecution."

"
"When Customs and Border Protection officers questioned Liu, he made false statements to CBP officers about the purpose of his visit to the United States, and his knowledge of the existence of the biological pathogen in his possession," an FBI special agent wrote in the criminal filing.

"Ultimately, Liu admitted to smuggling the pathogen and stated that he brought the pathogen into the United States so that he could conduct research on it at a laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked," the agent added.

Fusarium graminearum is a strain of a plant pathogen that causes “head blight,” according to the criminal case, a disease that can devastate wheat, barley, maize, and rice.

"Fusarium graminearum is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year," the agent wrote. "The toxins produced by Fusarium graminearum cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in livestock and humans."

 

[Napoleon]

Alarming to say the least. Have they questioned his girlfriend yet?

 

[SuperDS77]

Alarming to say the least. Have they questioned his girlfriend yet?

Appraently, yes. From the article...

"
The investigation intensified four months ago, in February, after Donald Trump assumed the presidency. That is when FBI agents interviewed Jian at the UM lab. She made several false statements, according to the government.

She denied knowing her boyfriend planned to study in the U.S. or bring biological materials into the country, the FBI agent wrote. She also denied helping Liu’s research on Fusarium graminearum.

During the interview, FBI agents asked her to provide her cellphone. She refused, but investigators seized it and searched the device after obtaining a search warrant.

The search uncovered a form signed last year that included Jian’s pledge to support the Chinese Communist Party, according to the FBI.

The search also revealed a conversation between Jian and another person in January 2024 that indicated prior smuggling efforts. That included unknown substances shipped to the U.S. that were hidden between the pages of a used statistics book.

The book, destined for Jian’s home in Ann Arbor, was intercepted by federal agents and analyzed by biological threat specialists in Kentucky.

The samples were subsequently destroyed"

 

[Ikari]

Well if it's real, it's good that they caught her.

 

[SayMyName]

Wow, thankful they caught this potential terrorism before it came to fruition. Perhaps we should reduce some of the foreign visas from adversarial countries to our universities.

If guilty hopefully there are some very serious consequences.

Loading…

www.detroitnews.com

"
Federal agents have arrested a University of Michigan scholar from China on charges she tried to smuggle a biological pathogen into the U.S. characterized as a potential agricultural terrorism weapon that can be used for targeting food crops.

The FBI counterintelligence case against UM scholar Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, was unsealed in federal court in Detroit on Tuesday and marks the second time in less than a week a Chinese national with ties to the university has been charged with federal crimes.

On Friday, prosecutors unsealed a criminal case against a former University of Michigan Chinese student who voted illegally in the 2024 election, saying he fled the U.S. to avoid prosecution."

"
"When Customs and Border Protection officers questioned Liu, he made false statements to CBP officers about the purpose of his visit to the United States, and his knowledge of the existence of the biological pathogen in his possession," an FBI special agent wrote in the criminal filing.

"Ultimately, Liu admitted to smuggling the pathogen and stated that he brought the pathogen into the United States so that he could conduct research on it at a laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked," the agent added.

Fusarium graminearum is a strain of a plant pathogen that causes “head blight,” according to the criminal case, a disease that can devastate wheat, barley, maize, and rice.

"Fusarium graminearum is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year," the agent wrote. "The toxins produced by Fusarium graminearum cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in livestock and humans."

Good post. Kudos to the agents that uncovered this and those overseas that raised the alert.

 

[NOLA Dude]

It sounds like China is using the CIA playbook(Operation Mongoose in Cuba) against us

 

[Mycroft]

Now we know why the State Department won't issue anymore visas to anyone from China.

 

[SuperDS77]

Now we know why the State Department won't issue anymore visas to anyone from China.

May it ever be thus...

 

[Ahlevah]

Now we know why the State Department won't issue anymore visas to anyone from China.

This particular fungus could have decimated America’s agricultural industry and is apparently classified as a potential agroterrorism weapon. One would think a postdoctoral fellow and researcher would know that. This is where where Trump says, “I was right. I tried to tell you. Let them study and learn somewhere else.”

 

[stealthycat]

this is a huge story IMO

had they succeeded in growing large amounts of Fusarium graminearum and releasing it across the USA and it spread .... it would cripple USA Farmers and dramatically impact USA citizens

like covid did, but worse


this is what China does

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

If the goal was terrorism mailing it to Canada first mixed in with chemical compounds then releasing it in Southern Saskatchewan would have been very easy. From Saskatchewan to North Dakota is a bird flight away.

Very little chance of getting caught as well

 

[Metric Mouse]

China just wants to cause chaos and pain.

Glad these people were caught.

 

[stealthycat]

China and bio smuggling again ...

its amazing the USA hasn't been hit by bio-terrorism, did we learn nothing from 9-11 ???

Chinese PhD student from Wuhan arrested smuggling biological materials after deleting electronic evidence: DOJ

Chinese researcher arrested for smuggling concealed biological materials from Wuhan to Michigan, as authorities find deleted electronic content and false customs statements.

www.foxnews.com

A national from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) has been arrested after allegedly smuggling biological materials into the U.S. and making false statements to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers about the contents of her packages.

The Department of Justice said Chengxuan Han is charged with smuggling goods into the U.S. and making false statements.

According to the complaint, Han is a citizen of the PRC who is working on her Ph.D. at the College of Life Science and Technology in the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Not bio terrorism

The fungus that was brought to the US already is in Canada and the US, it causes Fusarium head blight,

It is in Alberta and there are plenty of of fungicides that control it

 

[Metric Mouse]

Not bio terrorism

The fungus that was brought to the US already is in Canada and the US, it causes Fusarium head blight,

It is in Alberta and there are plenty of of fungicides that control it

We have plenty of nukes in the United States, but we don't let people bring more in just because they think they're smarter than everyone else.

Clearly bio terrorists, and it's awesome our precautions caught them before they could spread this crop killer.

 

[SuperDS77]

Not bio terrorism

The fungus that was brought to the US already is in Canada and the US, it causes Fusarium head blight,

It is in Alberta and there are plenty of of fungicides that control it

So why the attempt to smuggle these things into the US? Just altruistic intentions by the chinese nationals? Not likely.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

We have plenty of nukes in the United States, but we don't let people bring more in just because they think they're smarter than everyone else.

A few tiny samples of a fungus is not going to do anything when that fungus is already wide spread.

Heck the companies I have worked at have made millions of liters of fungicides meant to combat that fungus ( to prevent FHB) making hundreds of millions in the process.

A few tiny sample might result in an extra 10 000 Litres of sales.

Not terrorism just research

 

[SuperDS77]

A few tiny samples of a fungus is not going to do anything when that fungus is already wide spread.

Heck the companies I have worked at have made millions of liters of fungicides meant to combat that fungus ( to prevent FHB) making hundreds of millions in the process.

A few tiny sample might result in an extra 10 000 Litres of sales.

Not terrorism just research

Illegal, nonetheless.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

So why the attempt to smuggle these things into the US? Just altruistic intentions by the chinese nationals? Not likely.

Research is the .logical answer.

Metconazole prothioconazole, tebuconazole among many other fungicide AIs are sold in Canada and the US to combat that fungus among others.

Stop falling for moronic fear mongering and think logically.

If that fungus was not in the US or Canada,then it could be bio terrorism, but as it is in North America it would be very inconsequential to release a few bag's

Heck bio terrorists would be better off growing glyphosate snf gluphosinate esistant giant hogwash plants and releasing them into the wild.

Giant hog wart is a nasty plant that already is becoming resistant to glyphosate in parts of the US ( moronic farmers not rotating pesticide usage)

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Illegal, nonetheless.

Yes it was, but not bioterrorism

Heck bringing in agricultural products from foreign countries is often illegal

 

[snakestretcher]

Now we know why the State Department won't issue anymore visas to anyone from China.

What about the other 12 countries he imposed bans against? Are they also determined to smuggle pathogens? I can understand the Haiti ban-we can't have foreigners cooking your kittens for dinner...

Trump's travel ban on nationals from 12 countries takes effect

President Trump's new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries has taken effect amid rising tension over the president's escalating campaign of immigration enforcement.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[noonereal]

Wow, thankful they caught this potential terrorism before it came to fruition. Perhaps we should reduce some of the foreign visas from adversarial countries to our universities.

If guilty hopefully there are some very serious consequences.

Loading…

www.detroitnews.com

"
Federal agents have arrested a University of Michigan scholar from China on charges she tried to smuggle a biological pathogen into the U.S. characterized as a potential agricultural terrorism weapon that can be used for targeting food crops.

The FBI counterintelligence case against UM scholar Yunqing Jian and her boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, was unsealed in federal court in Detroit on Tuesday and marks the second time in less than a week a Chinese national with ties to the university has been charged with federal crimes.

On Friday, prosecutors unsealed a criminal case against a former University of Michigan Chinese student who voted illegally in the 2024 election, saying he fled the U.S. to avoid prosecution."

"
"When Customs and Border Protection officers questioned Liu, he made false statements to CBP officers about the purpose of his visit to the United States, and his knowledge of the existence of the biological pathogen in his possession," an FBI special agent wrote in the criminal filing.

"Ultimately, Liu admitted to smuggling the pathogen and stated that he brought the pathogen into the United States so that he could conduct research on it at a laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked," the agent added.

Fusarium graminearum is a strain of a plant pathogen that causes “head blight,” according to the criminal case, a disease that can devastate wheat, barley, maize, and rice.

"Fusarium graminearum is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year," the agent wrote. "The toxins produced by Fusarium graminearum cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in livestock and humans."

Can we trust what the feds say under Trump?

I sure don't.

 

[Visbek]

Oh, good grief.

The DoJ already knows that she brought the samples into the US for research. Not terrorism.

DOJ press release entitled "Chinese Nationals Charged with Conspiracy and Smuggling a Dangerous Biological Pathogen into the U.S. for their Work at a University of Michigan Laboratory"

Chinese Nationals Charged with Conspiracy and Smuggling a Dangerous Biological Pathogen into the U.S. for their Work at a University of Michigan Laboratory

www.justice.gov

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Chinese aircraft carrier breaches Pacific island defense line

The Chinese navy continues to expand its reach and presence in the western Pacific Ocean, challenging America's naval dominance.

www.newsweek.com

Moronic fear mongering

Chinese naval vessels operating in international waters is now breaching something

All designed to influence how and what you think about. Relying on people to read the headlines and not actually think about what they read

 

[Mycroft]

What about the other 12 countries he imposed bans against? Are they also determined to smuggle pathogens? I can understand the Haiti ban-we can't have foreigners cooking your kittens for dinner...

Trump's travel ban on nationals from 12 countries takes effect

President Trump's new ban on travel to the U.S. by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries has taken effect amid rising tension over the president's escalating campaign of immigration enforcement.

www.cbsnews.com

Why are you asking me something that is already answered by the article you presented?