Agroterrorism Is Alive and Well

Remember when Biden labeled as “domestic terrorists” those parents who were outraged at school board meetings because their elementary school children were being taught about transgenderism and sexual acts?

Maybe his administration should have instead been paying attention to agroterrorists. What is an agroterrorist? The deliberate introduction of contaminants, diseases or pests into the agriculture system or food supply is agroterrorism. It is done with an intent to cause panic, economic damage, and harm to humans and animals.

Agroterrorism is often thought about in a theoretical way – you know, as part of a threat assessment exercise. However, it does exist, and there are real-world examples.

In early June 2025, one example hit very close to home, when two Chinese nationals were caught trying to smuggle a deadly pathogen into the United States. The pair were caught trying to smuggle the Fusarium graminearum fungus through the Detroit, Michigan airport. One of the perpetrators, Zunyong Liu, stated he was bringing the fungus into the country to a University of Michigan laboratory where his girlfriend, Yunqing Jian, worked.

The FBI and US Customs and Border Patrol were responsible for stopping the fungus-mongering pair. The US Attorney in charge stated that Jian has received funding from the Chinese government for her Fusarium research in China, and further alleges that she is also a member of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). What on earth is this lady doing at a Michigan university?

(The situation makes it a bit more clear as to why Trump has Harvard in his sites, but that is an article for a different day.)

Fusarium’s Far-Reaching Effects

The US authorities called the situation the “gravest national security concern”. Here’s why. Fusarium fungus can cause diseases in wheat, barley, corn, maize, rice and other crops. It has been responsible for billions of dollars of global economic loss each year, and is referred to in the scientific literature as a “potential agroterrorism weapon.”

Fusarium fungus has devastated global crops for years. In particular, the fungus has devastated sub-Saharan Africa, and has also had devastating effects on the US corn belt states. The fungus has obliterated the Gros Michel banana variety, destroying it from the roots up. The pathogen now threatens the Cavendish banana, which is the dominant banana variety exported globally. It would be devastating if global banana exports collapsed because this trade is a major economy for many developing nations.

Fusarium can cause dry rot in stored potatoes, and can affect staple foods like peas, lentils, chickpeas and tomatoes, as well as core crops like cotton. The fungi are quite resilient and can survive in the dirt for decades (referred to as soil persistence.) Fungicides are not effective, and the fungi have genetic variability and adapt rapidly. The rapid adaptation is thought to be further fueled by the wide use of pesticides.

Several Fusarium species exist, but all produce mycotoxins which are harmful to crops, animals and humans. When Fusarium gets into the food supply and is ingested by animals and humans, it can cause severe vomiting and liver damage. One toxin, fumonisin, is linked with esophageal cancer in humans, and all are linked with immune suppression.

For all these reasons, the Fusarium species are HIGHLY regulated in many countries. And that makes it all the more damning that these two Chinese people were trying to smuggle them into the USA. Court hearings are imminent, and I’m sure we will find out more.

Agroterrorism: Real World Examples

Perhaps we will discover the true nefarious goal of these two Chinese agents. It wouldn’t be the first time that agroterrorism has reared its ugly head. In 1984, in Oregon, salad bars in several restaurants were intentionally contaminated with Salmonella. Members of the Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh cult did so to incapacitate voters so that their own candidates could win. (It brings a whole new meaning to “voter fraud” and even to “hanging chad” for those old enough to remember the Bush v. Gore debacle.) Over 750 people became ill, and this was the first confirmed agroattack on US soil.

The repeated blights of Florida’s citrus crops with issues like greening, citrus canker, and other diseases have led to speculation and even investigation that the sabotage was deliberate. The citrus industry has lost billions but no conclusive terrorism has been shown.

It’s not surprising that investigations are inconclusive. In fact, agroterrorism may be the perfect crime. Diseases can be introduced easily and in an unseen way. They spread quickly through the crops and create social panic about food insecurity, not to mention the massive economic losses. In this context, our food and agricultural systems are highly vulnerable. It’s not something many of us think about, really.

Agroterrorism is often part of warfare or covert operations. Ancient Romans and Assyrians would poison water wells with either toxins or dead corpses. This continued into medieval times.

In World War II, the Japanese contaminated food and water of Chinese populations to test biological weapons like typhoid, anthrax and cholera. This incident is famous; Unit 731 of the Imperial Japanese Army killed tens of thousands of Chinese civilians in an effort the destabilize the region.

Another plan which was never carried out was Operation Vegetarian in which the British military planned to target Nazi Germany by dropping linseed cakes over German fields. The cakes were to be laced with anthrax spores and were designed to kill livestock and contaminate the meat supply.

The CIA planned Operation Mongoose during the 1960s. The goal was to introduce crop diseases to disrupt Cuba’s sugar industry and thereby unseat Fidel Castro. Most of these plans were either unsuccessful or never carried out.

Can We Trust Our Government?

The USDA says they think about it and actively monitor threats, but with the American people’s confidence in large government entities at an all-time low, how much faith do any of us have that the government is on top of the situation?

Besides, our government is putting fluoride in our water, dyes in our food, and so much more. Is it the fox watching the hen house? Is the US government truly watching out for us, or are they themselves also agroterrorists by definition?

It’s not unprecedented. In the 1800s, the US government definitely played a role in shaping the fate of Native Americans by decimating the buffalo herds in the Great Plains. When the buffalo were gone, it was easier to force Native Americans onto reservations. We did a deep dive on that story here.

More recently, we’ve had mysterious fires at food plants and reports from farmers that their chicken feed was being tainted. Millions of birds have been culled to purportedly prevent the spread of bird flu. Is the Deep State really trying to starve us? The answer might be a strong “Yes.”

Whoever the agroterrorists are, they may want to remember that the 1925 Geneva Protocol and the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention both prohibit the use of biological or chemical agents of warfare. Whether it’s two Chinese spies in an isolated incident, or a larger contingent of our own government trying to ruin our food sources, they may want to remember that tainting of food or water is indeed considered a war crime under international law.