Two Chinese nationals have been arrested on charges of smuggling a crop-destroying fungus across the border, raising concerns about agroterrorism targeting the United States. One expert has highlighted the potential for “severe disruption” to the nation’s food supply from foreign adversaries.
Kristofor Healey explained to Fox News Digital that “agroterrorism involves bringing items into the United States with the deliberate intention of affecting our food supply.” He noted that this could include biological organisms, like the lab-grown organism implicated in the recent Michigan case, designed to attack crucial agricultural elements crucial for the nation’s survival.
Healey served with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for 15 years, moving from roles in immigration enforcement to counter-corruption operations. Currently, he works as a private investigator and serves as an expert witness.
Baggies seized by Border Patrol contain the dangerous fungus fusarium graminearum. (FBI)
“I would suggest that is something we need to be thinking about a lot more, because we just came off, five years ago, the entire world being shut down by what now appears to be a biological item that leaked from a laboratory and then infected millions of people and killed millions of people around the globe,” he said.
Healey warned that Americans should be prepared in the event of such an attack.
“You don’t have to be a prepper and build a silo in Nebraska and bury all your food supplies and wait for the end of the road, but you do have to be thinking a little bit down the road,” he said. “Be prepared in the sense that you’re the kind of person who’s looking down the road. Not 24 hours in the future, but looking weeks and sometimes months in the future and preparing accordingly.”
Jian and Liu have been charged with conspiracy, smuggling goods into the U.S., false statements and visa fraud. They remain in federal custody.
