Cabot Phillips

Yeah, potentially explosive story here. This week, we learned that the FBI has arrested two Chinese nationals who attempted to smuggle Fusarium greminerum. a dangerous biological pathogen, into the United States. One of those individuals, Young-Quinn Jian, worked as a researcher at the University of Michigan.

Yeah, potentially explosive story here. This week, we learned that the FBI has arrested two Chinese nationals who attempted to smuggle Fusarium greminerum. a dangerous biological pathogen, into the United States. One of those individuals, Young-Quinn Jian, worked as a researcher at the University of Michigan.

The FBI says she has expressed loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and has in the past received funding from Beijing to study similar pathogens back in China. The other individual, her boyfriend, Zeng Yong Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducted similar research.

The FBI says she has expressed loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party and has in the past received funding from Beijing to study similar pathogens back in China. The other individual, her boyfriend, Zeng Yong Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducted similar research.

According to the DOJ, when detained at customs, Liu made, quote, 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. But he later admitted that he planned on using his girlfriend's access at the University of Michigan to conduct research on that pathogen.

According to the DOJ, when detained at customs, Liu made, quote, 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. But he later admitted that he planned on using his girlfriend's access at the University of Michigan to conduct research on that pathogen.

The two have now been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud.

The two have now been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud.

Well, Fusarium graninearum is a noxious fungus considered by scientists to be a potential agro-terrorism weapon. That's because it causes head blight, a fungal disease that spreads among wheat, barley, maize, and rice crops, causing plants to shrivel and die, leaving behind infected kernels that can blow away and then spread to the next field. So you can see the danger there.

Well, Fusarium graninearum is a noxious fungus considered by scientists to be a potential agro-terrorism weapon. That's because it causes head blight, a fungal disease that spreads among wheat, barley, maize, and rice crops, causing plants to shrivel and die, leaving behind infected kernels that can blow away and then spread to the next field. So you can see the danger there.

The fungus is responsible for billions of dollars in ruined crops each year, and it also poses a significant risk to humans and animals, causes vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects if accidentally ingested.

The fungus is responsible for billions of dollars in ruined crops each year, and it also poses a significant risk to humans and animals, causes vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects if accidentally ingested.

FBI Director Kash Patel called the incident a, quote, sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences, putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.

FBI Director Kash Patel called the incident a, quote, sobering reminder that the CCP is working around the clock to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate American institutions and target our food supply, which would have grave consequences, putting American lives and our economy at serious risk.

And it's worth noting, according to this criminal complaint, past communications between Liu and Jian indicate she may have smuggled other materials into the US during past trips, one time in her shoe and another time in a book. At one point, Liu wrote to his partner ahead of his flight, quote, everything else will be easy once we get this done.

And it's worth noting, according to this criminal complaint, past communications between Liu and Jian indicate she may have smuggled other materials into the US during past trips, one time in her shoe and another time in a book. At one point, Liu wrote to his partner ahead of his flight, quote, everything else will be easy once we get this done.

Yeah, exactly. While it's not yet clear if this was part of a broader effort to unleash some sort of bioweapon in the U.S., it is clear that China is using students and researchers to steal American research from universities.

Yeah, exactly. While it's not yet clear if this was part of a broader effort to unleash some sort of bioweapon in the U.S., it is clear that China is using students and researchers to steal American research from universities.

For example, back in 2019, a Chinese professor at UCLA was convicted of trying to illegally obtain semiconductors with military applications so that he could then smuggle them back to China. Then a year later, a Chinese national at Harvard was caught attempting to smuggle 21 vials of sensitive cancer research from a medical lab, again, back to China.

For example, back in 2019, a Chinese professor at UCLA was convicted of trying to illegally obtain semiconductors with military applications so that he could then smuggle them back to China. Then a year later, a Chinese national at Harvard was caught attempting to smuggle 21 vials of sensitive cancer research from a medical lab, again, back to China.