LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – At 11:50 a.m., Tuesday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan broke the news that two Chinese nationals had been charged with smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen into the U.S. where they could work on it at a University of Michigan laboratory.
Whitmer and Nessel are mum.
While politicians and pundits from around the country and in Michigan spoke out, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is the highest-ranking law enforcement official in the state, have been silent the first 24 hours.
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Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, citizens of the People’s Republic of China, were charged in a criminal complaint with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the United States, false statements, and visa fraud, according to the U.S. Attorney. Yunqing Jian is listed as a research fellow at U-M and made $53,560 in 2024-25.
An international story.
The story got international legs and was picked up by the BBC and other news outlets, yet the state AG didn’t provide any comment on a terrorism case in her own state.
Instead, Nessel’s office put out a press release June 3 stating it asked the Michigan Court of Claims to find abortion restrictions discriminatory. As of noon June 4, there were no other announcements.
Nessel’s office didn’t respond to an email from Michigan News Source about whether it was going to comment on the terrorism case.
Similarly, Whitmer’s office instead put out two press releases June 3. One was about a company getting a $25.75 million subsidy and the other was an educator of the year announcement.
Whitmer’s office didn’t respond to an email.
A dangerous biological pathogen.
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FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X at 7:32 p.m. Tuesday. Patel called the “Fusarium graminearum” fungus “a dangerous biological pathogen.”
“This case is a 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,” Patel stated.
Nessel has been a constant critic of Trump’s policies.
“Why I refuse to normalize this president,” Nessel wrote April 10 while linking to an article from a news organization about her preoccupation with Trump. “Appeasement is not workable strategy with a fascist.”
Nessel’s office has also put out press releases when her department is involved with criminal cases that include Chinese nationals. The AG put out a press release Jan. 7 when they were involved in a case with a 60-year-old Chinese national facing human trafficking charges. The AG’s office also put out a press release on March 14 when they arrested two Chinese nationals on a fraud scheme involving unsold gift cards.