Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller Warns Farmers About Recent Fusarium Smuggle

June 9, 2025 – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is urging heightened vigilance following the arrest of two Chinese nationals accused of attempting to smuggle a harmful plant fungus into the United States. The individuals, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, were detained at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with Fusarium graminearum, a dangerous pathogen known to devastate key crops like wheat, barley, maize, and rice.

Miller called the incident a potential act of agroterrorism and expressed deep concern over reports that one of the suspects has alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party. “This raises serious questions about intent and highlights the real threats facing American agriculture and national security,” Miller said.

The commissioner emphasized the importance of protecting the nation’s food supply, warning that any attempt to compromise it would be met with zero tolerance. He praised the quick action of the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other federal agencies operating under the Trump administration for neutralizing the potential threat.

Miller stressed the need to strengthen biosecurity measures and safeguard U.S. agricultural research institutions from foreign interference. “Our food security is national security, and we will not let our guard down,” he said, calling for continued vigilance to protect Texas producers and the broader American food system.

The biological pathogen federal authorities accuse two Chinese nationals of smuggling into the U.S. can be concerning for farming communities but was not likely an act of “agroterrorism,” according to plant pathology experts.