Couple charged for smuggling agricultural terrorist inorganic pathogens...the possibility of trillions of damage
Jun 04, 2025
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According to the New York Post and other U.S. media, the Justice Department indicted a 34-year-old Chinese couple, Liu, Jian, on the 3rd (local time) on charges of smuggling dangerous biological pathogens.
They were caught by customs authorities in July last year while attempting to enter the United States with a pathogen called 'Fusarium Graminarum' through Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Michigan.
Fusarium graminearum is a fungus (fungus) in the genus Fusarium and is one of the major causative bacteria of Fusarium.
In particular, it is a bacterium classified as an agricultural terrorist weapon by infecting grains such as wheat, barley, corn, and rice, causing diseases that dry ears.
Additionally, the toxins shed by this pathogen can cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive organ abnormalities, and can be fatal to humans and livestock.
It is argued that it could cause billions of won worth of agricultural and economic damage worldwide.
Liu initially denied the purpose of the visit and knowledge of the pathogen, but later admitted to federal investigators that he had tried to communicate it to his girlfriend, Jian, according to a criminal complaint filed in court.
The complaint includes that Jian is a scientist supported by the Chinese government and has close ties to the Chinese Communist Party, the New York Post said.
Liu is also known as a researcher who conducts the same pathogen research at a university in China.
Jian claimed in an interview with the FBI that he was unaware of his boyfriend's intention to smuggle the pathogen, but the investigation revealed that the two discussed biological material delivery with the lab beforehand.
Court documents contain evidence that Jian has smuggled biological materials into the United States in the past.
As a result, the two were indicted by U.S. prosecutors on charges of smuggling, conspiracy, making false statements and visa fraud.
Jerome Gogon Jr., prosecutor of the U.S. Attorney's Office, argued that "their conduct is a serious threat to national security" and that "the Fusarium Grammenearum is considered a "agricultural terrorist weapon" and that they apparently wanted to study it in the heart of the United States."
Currently, U.S. authorities are conducting further investigations considering the impact of the case on national security and called the indictment an important step forward in protecting public safety.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
