Two Chinese citizens, including one who works at the University of Michigan, were charged on June 2 with visa fraud, conspiracy, making false statements, and smuggling a pathogen into the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan announced the charges on June 3, ahead of defendant Yunqing Jian’s appearance in federal court.
“The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns,” U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said in a statement.
“These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.”…
US Charges 2 Chinese Nationals With Smuggling Crop-Killing Fungus, Visa Fraud
