Chinese couple charged in US for agroterrorism; what is it?

Two Chinese nationals have been charged for smuggling in a toxic fungus, a dangerous biological pathogen, in an attempt to infect farmland in the USA.

Federal authorities divulged to the media on Tuesday (June 3) that the two researchers intended to carry out research on the toxic pathogen at the University of Michigan. They said that a Chinese scientist Zunyong Liu (34) had entered the US last year with a toxic fungus stashed in his backpack.

Liu and his girlfriend Yunqing Jiang who worked in a lab at the University of Michigan, have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud. Jian allegedly received funding from the Chinese government to carry out research on the same toxic fungus in China, according to the charges.

While Jian appeared in court and was returned to jail to await a bond hearing Thursday, the US will not be able to arrest Liu since they do not have an extradition treaty with China. The FBI said it found a signed statement on her phone expressing her support for the Communist Party of China.

After this incident, the spotlight is now on a more stealthier and devastating form of terrorism – agroterrorism – that is impacting several nations, including India.

Agroterrorism weapon

The fungus that Liu was smuggling into the US is known as Fusarium graminearum, which can attack wheat, barley, maize and rice and sicken livestock and people, the FBI said in a court filing in Detroit.

Also read: India slams Pakistan at UNSC for sponsoring terrorist attacks

The FBI said a scientific journal describes it as a "potential agroterrorism weapon".

Security concerns

"The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals, including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party, are of the gravest national security concerns," said US Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr.

In July 2024, Liu was turned away at the Detroit airport and sent back to China after changing his story during an interrogation about red plant material discovered in his backpack, the FBI said.

He initially claimed ignorance about the samples but later said he was planning to use the material for research at a University of Michigan lab where his girlfriend Jian worked and where Liu previously worked, the FBI said.

Plant-pathogen warfare

The FBI said authorities found a scientific article on Liu's phone that was titled, "Plant-Pathogen Warfare under Changing Climate Conditions."

A week before arriving in the US, according to investigators, Liu exchanged messages with Jian, who said, "It's a pity that I still have to work for you." The FBI said Liu replied: "Once this is done, everything else will be easy."

Months later, in February, FBI agents visited Jian at the campus lab. She said, "100% no,” when asked if she had been assisting Liu with the pathogen at the lab.

Also read: Targeting of civilians marks alarming shift in terror tactics: DGMO

Messages between the two in 2024 suggest that Jian was already tending to Fusarium graminearum at the campus lab before Liu was caught at the Detroit airport, the FBI said. The university does not have federal permits to handle it.

So, what is agroterrorism?

Interpol describes it as "terrorist attacks directed against crops and livestock, to disrupt a population’s economy and food supply".

This is done with the purpose of triggering economic damage, generating fear and panic, and undermining public trust in the food supply, said scientists. Deliberately introducing a plant or animal pathogen can result in massive crop failures, which will require millions of infected livestock to be slaughtered. It will impose serious hardships on farmers and others in the supply chain.

Alternatively, toxic chemicals or radioactive isotopes might be used to contaminate food and beverages. Such incidents could result in increased food prices and trade embargoes, costing billions of dollars in lost revenue.

Why terrorists use it?

It is attractive to terrorists since it is relatively affordable and technically feasible due to the openness and vulnerability of farming operations, and the ability of agricultural attacks to cause severe disruption and economic damage.

Agriculture and its related industries are vulnerable targets since it will be difficult to detect such attacks and food supply chains can be readily exploited. For terrorists, it turns out to be a cost-efficient way to cripple the economies of rival nations, particularly those heavily dependent on agriculture.

Effects of deadly fungus

Take the example of the fungus, Fusarium graminearum, which is classified in the US as a "potential agro-terrorism weapon". Besides wiping out crops like wheat, barley, maize and rice, it can produce toxins leading to vomiting, liver damage and reproductive issues if humans and animals eat infected grains.

Commonly known as Gibberella zeae, this fungal pathogen is considered to be one of the top five most destructive fungi impacting agroecosystems.

It can lead to economic losses to the tune of "billions of dollars" worldwide each year, the US Justice Department has said.

Agroterrorism used before

In World War II, Germany allegedly attempted to sabotage Britain's potato crops by dropping Colorado potato beetles from aircrafts. When the beetles were found in England in 1943, it was believed that a small-scale agricultural attack may have taken place.

A University of Mostaganem paper also revealed that Japan had considered agro-terrorism during wartime, planning to release grain rust spores to damage wheat fields in the United States and Soviet Union if the war continued.

Moreover, the US too had stockpiled over 30 tonnes of Puccinia tritici spores, the fungus responsible for wheat stem rust and contemplated using it against Japan before opting for the atomic bomb.

Is India vulnerable?

Agroterrorism has far-reaching implications for countries like India, whose economy is dependent on agriculture. It can disrupt the economy and stir up social unrest.

India’s key agricultural states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh share their borders with hostile neighbours like Pakistan and China, making them vulnerable to the threat of 'agro-terrorism'.

A research paper published by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in 2016, said a toxic fungus which was reported in Bangladesh was found in two districts of West Bengal. It was believed to have been deliberately introduced but there was no proof. India managed to contain the spread of Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT), a wheat-blast-causing fungus, by banning wheat cultivation in the two districts for three years. And, cultivation within 5 kilometres of the International Border in other districts adjoining Bangladesh was prohibited.

Biggest challenge

The major stumbling block to fight agroterrorism is that no international legal framework is available to impose criminal penalties on biological attacks against non-human targets.