What Is Agroterrorism? Here’s Why The Smuggled Fungus In FBI’s Case Has Raised Alarms

Last Updated:June 04, 2025, 11:23 IST

The FBI has called it a direct national security threat. It’s not a zombie fungus, but it can wipe out crops, cripple food systems, and cause billions in losses

Two Chinese nationals have been accused of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen to the US.

The recent arrest of two Chinese nationals for allegedly smuggling a dangerous fungus into the United States has put the spotlight on a growing but often under-discussed threat: agroterrorism.

The FBI has called it a “serious national security threat", warning that biological agents targeting food supplies could cripple economies and endanger millions. But what exactly is agroterrorism, and why has a common crop fungus triggered such alarm?

ALSO READ | ‘Direct Threat’: Chinese Couple Caught Smuggling ‘Agroterrorism Agent’ Into US

What Is Agroterrorism?

Agroterrorism, short for agricultural terrorism, refers to the deliberate introduction of pests, diseases, or pathogens into a country’s food supply or agricultural sector with the intent to cause economic disruption, food shortages, or social unrest.

Unlike conventional terrorism, the targets are not civilians or infrastructure, but plants, livestock, and critical food systems. Given the global interconnectedness of supply chains, even a localised outbreak can have ripple effects across economies and international markets.

The Fungus In Question: Fusarium Graminearum

The pathogen at the centre of this case is Fusarium graminearum, a crop-infecting fungus already present in parts of North America, Europe, and Asia, but subject to strict controls when moved across borders. Introducing it into new regions, or into research environments without authorisation, risks triggering outbreaks in vulnerable crop systems that may lack resistance to more aggressive or unfamiliar strains, leading to highly destructive consequences.

What Does It Do?

It causes Fusarium head blight (also called scab), a serious disease that primarily affects cereal crops such as wheat, barley, oats, and corn. The fungus attacks the flowering heads of these plants, reducing grain development and significantly lowering yields. But the damage doesn’t stop there: infected grains are often contaminated with toxic compounds called mycotoxins, particularly deoxynivalenol (DON), also known as vomitoxin. These toxins are harmful to both humans and animals if consumed, rendering large portions of the harvest unfit for food or feed, even if the crop volume appears intact.

Economic Impact

Globally, Fusarium head blight causes billions of dollars in agricultural losses every year. In the United States alone, outbreaks have cost wheat and barley farmers an estimated $3 billion to $4 billion in losses since the 1990s. In severe outbreak years, such as 1993 and 1998, affected regions saw yield losses of up to 50 per cent in some wheat-growing areas. Beyond direct yield loss, the presence of mycotoxins often forces entire harvests to be discarded or heavily processed to remove contaminated grain, further compounding economic damage for farmers, exporters, and food processors.

Could This Be ‘The Last of Us’ Scenario?

The fact that a fungus is involved naturally draws comparisons to The Last of Us — the popular series where a mutated fungus wipes out most of humanity. But while both involve fungi, the similarity largely ends there.

The pathogen smuggled into the US, Fusarium graminearum, targets crops, not humans. Its primary threat is economic and agricultural, not epidemiological. It infects wheat, barley and corn, destroying harvests and contaminating grain supplies with toxins harmful if consumed. In the worst-case scenario, it could trigger food shortages, destabilise markets, and cause large-scale financial losses, precisely why experts consider it a potential agroterrorism agent.

Unlike The Last of Us, this is not about zombies, but in a highly globalised world where food security is deeply intertwined with national security, the stakes remain dangerously high.

Has Agroterrorism Happened Before?

While large-scale agroterrorism attacks remain rare, the threat has been on the radar of intelligence and biosecurity agencies for decades due to the potentially catastrophic consequences. Agriculture remains a vulnerable sector — highly centralised, easily disrupted, and slow to recover once infected or contaminated.

Some notable examples and concerns:

• Iraq’s Bioweapons Programme (1990s): Saddam Hussein’s regime reportedly stockpiled plant and animal pathogens as part of its broader biological weapons research. While these were never deployed, UN weapons inspectors (UNSCOM) documented Iraq’s research into pathogens targeting crops and livestock, including wheat smut, aflatoxins, and animal diseases like rinderpest and foot-and-mouth.
• Aum Shinrikyo’s Experiments (Japan): The Japanese doomsday cult, more widely known for the 1995 Tokyo subway sarin gas attack, also experimented with biological agents. Among these were efforts to acquire pathogens that could damage food supplies, though most of their biological attempts failed.
• Al-Qaeda Interest: Intelligence assessments have long indicated that terror groups like Al-Qaeda explored using pathogens to target agriculture. The US Department of Homeland Security and the FBI have publicly acknowledged this risk.

What makes agroterrorism particularly insidious is the delayed nature of its impact. A pathogen introduced covertly may not be detected until significant damage is done, making both prevention and rapid response critical.

Why Is The FBI So Concerned?

The smuggling of Fusarium graminearum was not a casual or accidental act. According to the FBI, the accused individual brought the pathogen into the US to conduct unsanctioned research at a Michigan lab. But more importantly, the FBI believes this could be part of a broader pattern where hostile state actors attempt to undermine critical sectors — in this case, America’s food security — under the guise of academic research.

As FBI Director Kash Patel put it, “Smuggling a known agroterrorism agent into the US is not just a violation of law, it’s a direct threat to national security."

Chinese Nationals Charged With Smuggling ‘Agroterrorism Agent’ Into US

According to an FBI criminal complaint, Zunyong Liu, 34, a researcher currently in China, brought the fungus into the United States while visiting his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, 33, in July 2024. He admitted to smuggling in the fungus so he could conduct research on it at a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend worked, according to the complaint.

Both individuals have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud.

Karishma Jain

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...Read More

Karishma Jain, Chief Sub Editor at News18.com, writes and edits opinion pieces on a variety of subjects, including Indian politics and policy, culture and the arts, technology and social change. Follow her @kar...

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