2 Chinese nationals charged with smuggling dangerous pathogen into US: DOJ

Two Chinese nationals have been charged with allegedly smuggling into the U.S. a fungus called "Fusarium graminearum, which scientific literature classifies as a potential agroterrorism weapon," the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the Peoples Republic of China, were allegedly receiving Chinese government funding for their research, some of which at the University of Michigan, officials said.

"The complaint also alleges that Jians electronics contain information describing her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. It is further alleged that Jians boyfriend, Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen and that he first lied but then admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America -- through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport -- so that he could conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked," according to a DOJ press release.

The FBI says it causes "head blight," a disease of wheat, barley, maize, and rice, and is responsible for billions of dollars in economic losses worldwide each year.

"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.

"Todays criminal charges levied upon Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu are indicative of CBPs critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate our agricultural economy and cause harm to humans; especially when it involves a researcher from a major university attempting to clandestinely bring potentially harmful biological materials into the United States," U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon said.

Jian will be appearing Tuesday afternoon in federal court in Detroit for her initial appearance on the complaint, the DOJ said.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.