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FBI Arrests Chinese Univ. of MI Visiting Scholar Tied to CCP: Charged With Trying To Smuggle Biological Pathogen Used For Targeting Crops Into U.S. and VISA Fraud

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Last week, it was discovered that 19-year-old Haoxiang Gao, a Chinese student attending the University of Michigan, who was charged in October with illegally voting in the 2024 general election, managed to evade sentencing by using a second passport to return to China.

The 19-year-old Chinese citizen accidentally turned himself in when he returned to the early voting location in Ann Arbor, MI, where he had successfully cast a ballot and asked to retrieve his ballot. The clerk informed the Chinese student that his votes had already been tabulated and that there was no way to identify his ballot. Because Gao was able to successfully evaded authorities, he was also able to prevent a public relations nighbmare for MI Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who repeatedly assured voters and members of the US Congress that there is no need to make voters show proof of citizenship, because foreigners don’t vote in our elections because they know it’s against the law.

In September 2025, the Michigan Secretary of State was asked by the Committee on House Administration at the “American Confidence in Elections: Looking Ahead to the 2024 General Election” hearing whether she thought Americans should have to prove their citizenship to vote in federal elections. Benson smugly responded to his question by saying, “No,” that she doesn’t believe citizens should be required to prove citizenship, assuring the members of Congress, “There is no evidence that non-citizens are voting in our elections. One month later, Gao, a non-citizen, admitted to illegally voting in our elections. Jocelyn Benson is currently a Democratic Party contender for governor in Michigan. Does it seem curious that Gao was able to evade federal agents and escape prosecution by fleeing the US to avoid a high-profile court case that would damage Jocelyn Benson’s credibility and her chances of becoming the Democratic candidate for governor?

One week after Gao successfully escaped sentencing by fleeing to China, President Trump’s FBI has arrested another Chinese citizen tied to the University of Michigan. 

34-year-old Zunyoug Liu, a female Chinese research fellow in the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Department at the University of Michigan, was arrested by federal agents and charged with attempting to smuggle a biological pathogen into the United States.

34-year-old Zunyoug Liu – U of M photo

Investigators say the substance is classified as a potential agricultural terrorism weapon, capable of causing billions of dollars in damage to food crops.

According to unsealed federal court records, 33-year-old research fellow Yunqing Jian, whose phone records reveal that she has pledged allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party, was working with her 34-year-old boyfriend, Zunyong Liu, to smuggle Fusarium graminearum, a deadly fungus, into the United States through Detroit Metropolitan Airport on July 27. The deadly fungus causes “head blight,” a disease affecting wheat, barley, maize, and rice, resulting in billions of dollars’ worth of economic losses worldwide each year, according to federal officials in the United States. Its toxins also cause vomiting, liver damage, and reproductive defects in humans and livestock, the release says.

According to the Detroit News, the charges against the Chinese couple include conspiracy to defraud the U.S., smuggling, making false statements to investigators, and visa fraud. The smuggling charge carries the stiffest penalty — up to 20 years in federal prison.

The roots of the case involving the Chinese scholar and her boyfriend stretch to March 2024. That is when Liu applied for a B2 tourist visa to enter the U.S.

The application asked: Do you seek to engage in espionage, sabotage, export control violations, or any other illegal activity while in the United States?”

Liu answered “no,” and officials approved his tourist visa.

He arrived at Detroit Metro four months later, in July 2024.

During an inspection, an officer found a hidden note in Chinese, a round piece of filter paper, and four baggies filled with small clumps of reddish plant material, the FBI agent wrote.

Biological Pathogens discovered in Liu’s possession at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport – Photo from US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

Liu lied when asked questions about the materials, according to the court filing, saying someone “must have put them into his bag.”

“After further questioning, Liu acknowledged that the materials were different strains of the pathogen Fusarium graminearum,” the agent wrote.

Jian made an initial appearance in federal court Tuesday afternoon and is being held without bond while awaiting a detention hearing Thursday. Her boyfriend has returned to China.

From the FBI agent’s criminal filing: “When Customs and Border Protection officers questioned Liu, he made false statements to CBP officers about the purpose of his visit to the United States, and his knowledge of the existence of the biological pathogen in his possession. Ultimately, Liu admitted to smuggling the pathogen and stated that he brought the pathogen into the United States so that he could conduct research on it at a laboratory at the University of Michigan, where his girlfriend, Jian, worked.”

According to the complaint, Jian received funding from the Chinese government for her work on this pathogen in China. The complaint also alleges that Jian’s electronics contain information describing her membership in and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. It is further alleged that Jian’s boyfriend, Liu, works at a Chinese university where he conducts research on the same pathogen and that he first lied but then admitted to smuggling Fusarium graminearum into America—through the Detroit Metropolitan Airport—so that he could conduct research on it at the laboratory at the University of Michigan where his girlfriend, Jian, worked.

After LIU’s smuggling of the biological pathogen, FBI Agents interviewed JIAN, who falsely claimed that she knew nothing about LIU’s smuggling or his intent to conduct research on the pathogen at the laboratory during his visit.
In fact, an examination of electronic communications between LIU and JIAN shows that the two discussed the shipping of biological materials and research being done in the laboratory prior to LIU’s arrival. Electronic evidence also shows that JIAN has been involved in smuggling packages of biological material into the United States on prior occasions.

LIU initially stated that he did not know what the materials were and that someone must have put them into his bag. When asked why someone would put those materials into his bag, LIU stated that he did not know, and that maybe he had accidentally put the materials there. After further questioning, LIU acknowledged that the materials were different strains of the pathogen Fusarium graminearum.

LIU stated that he planned to clone the different strains of Fusarium graminearum contained on the filter paper and make more samples if the experiments on the reddish plant material failed. LIU stated that he intentionally hid the samples in his backpack because he knew there were restrictions on the importation of the materials. LIU confirmed that he had intentionally put the samples in a wad of tissues so CBP Officers would be less likely to find and confiscate them, and he could continue his research.

United States Attorney Gorgon stated: “The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals—including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party—are of the gravest national security concerns. These two aliens have been charged with smuggling a fungus that has been described as a ‘potential agroterrorism weapon’ into the heartland of America, where they apparently intended to use a University of Michigan laboratory to further their scheme.”

“The federal charges announced today against Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu, both residents of the People’s Republic of China, signify a crucial advancement in our efforts to safeguard our communities and uphold national security,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “These individuals exploited their access to laboratory facilities at a local university to engage in the smuggling of biological pathogens, an act that posed an imminent threat to public safety. Thanks to the exceptional investigative efforts of the FBI Detroit Counterintelligence Task Force, in close cooperation with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Field Operations, these dangerous activities have been effectively halted. The FBI remains resolutely committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to protect the residents of Michigan and defend the United States against such grave threats.”

U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Director of Field Operations Marty C. Raybon stated, “Today’s criminal charges levied upon Yunqing Jian and Zunyong Liu are indicative of CBP’s critical role in protecting the American people from biological threats that could devastate our agricultural economy and cause harm to humans; especially when it involves a researcher from a major university attempting to clandestinely bring potentially harmful biological materials into the United States. This was a complex investigation involving CBP offices from across the country, alongside our federal partners. I’m grateful for their tireless efforts, ensuring our borders remain secure from all types of threats while safeguarding America’s national security interests.”

The post FBI Arrests Chinese Univ. of MI Visiting Scholar Tied to CCP: Charged With Trying To Smuggle Biological Pathogen Used For Targeting Crops Into U.S. and VISA Fraud appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Judge Subramanian DENIES Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Bail for the Fifth Time – Disgraced Rapper Will Remain in Prison Pending His October 3rd Sentencing

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12 hours ago

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August 5, 2025

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Judge Subramanian: no “exceptional reasons” to release Diddy before sentencing.

Recent Judge Subramanian’s decisions may indicate hard times for Diddy come sentencing.

We have been following the pre-sentencing motions in the high-profile criminal trial of rap mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

The defense: ‘Sean Diddy’s Combs’ Conviction Is Racist and Sexist’, Say Disgraced Rapper’s Lawyers on Yet Another Legal Filing Trying to Release Him on Bail Pending Sentencing

The Prosecution: Prosecutors Oppose Sean Diddy Combs’ 50M Bail Package, Ask for ‘Substantially Higher’ Sentence Than Before

Look who appeared: Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial: Ex-girlfirend Who Disappeared and Did Not Testify Against Rapper as ‘Victim 3’ Now Writes Letter to Judge to Grant Him Pre-sentencing Bail

Diddy has had his request for bail denied for the 5th time.

Today, we learn that federal judge Subramanian has yet again declined to grant Sean “Diddy” Combs bail, saying he found no ‘exceptional reasons’ to release him pending his October sentencing.

ABC News reported:

“Combs was convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution, which the judge said mandates incarceration. His sentencing is set for Oct. 3.

Judge Arun Subramanian said Combs remains a risk of flight and a danger to the community, pointing to the violence exhibited on 2016 hotel surveillance footage that shows him kicking and dragging Cassie Ventura.”

Combs remains a risk of flight and a danger to the community: Judge.

The judge ruled that the ‘swinger lifestyle’ argument does not fly in a case that includes ‘evidence of violence, coercion or subjugation in connection with the prostitution’. And the record, he wrote, contains evidence of all three.

Subramanian: “’While Combs may contend at sentencing that this evidence should be discounted and that what happened was nothing more than a case of willing ‘swingers’ utilizing the voluntary services of escorts for their mutual pleasure, the Government takes the opposite view: that Cassie Ventura and Jane were beaten, coerced, threatened, lied to, and victimized by Combs as part of their participation in these’.”

Read more:

As He Awaits Sentencing in Prison, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Joins ‘Self-Improvement’ Program To Curb Drug Use and Violence Against Women

The post Judge Subramanian DENIES Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Bail for the Fifth Time – Disgraced Rapper Will Remain in Prison Pending His October 3rd Sentencing appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Nearly 78,000 New Applicants Flood ICE Recruitment to Help Crack Down on Illegal Immigration (VIDEO)

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12 hours ago

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August 5, 2025

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In a scorching new development under the Trump-backed ICE reign, Acting Director Todd Lyons confidently announced that “we have almost 78,000 applicants since we opened up,” referring to the agency’s massive recruitment surge launched just one week prior.

This seismic surge in interest aligns with ICE’s newly launched “Defend the Homeland” recruitment blitz, unveiled by the Department of Homeland Security on July 29, 2025.

ICE is budgeting for 10,000 new agents, dangling $50,000 signing bonuses, student‑loan forgiveness, enhanced overtime pay, and upgraded retirement plans to attract recruits.

According to the press release:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today launched a new U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) campaign to recruit brave and heroic Americans to join ICE as federal law enforcement agents and remove the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from America’s streets.

“Your country is calling you to serve at ICE. In the wake of the Biden administration’s failed immigration policies, your country needs dedicated men and women of ICE to get the worst of the worst criminals out of our country,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “This is a defining moment in our nation’s history. Your skills, your experience, and your courage have never been more essential. Together, we must defend the homeland.”

To support this effort, ICE is offering a robust package of federal law enforcement incentives, including: 

  • A maximum $50,000 signing bonus
  • Student loan repayment and forgiveness options
  • 25% Law Enforcement Availability Pay (LEAP) for HSI Special Agents
  • Administratively Uncontrollable Overtime (AUI) for Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) Deportation Officers
  • Enhanced retirement benefits

Backed by significant new funding through the recently signed One Big Beautiful Bill, ICE is rolling out patriotic recruitment posters and benefits to attract the next generation of law enforcement professionals to find, arrest, and remove criminal illegal aliens.

During the Fox interview, Todd Lyons delivered the incredible news.

“We have almost 78,000 applicants since we opened up. We’re going through and finding those people who really want to serve the country and truly be in law enforcement. I think it’s a great way to recruit now.

We’re taking back our re-hired annuitants — people who left the job early because they weren’t allowed to do the law enforcement mission.

But we have so many people who are now interested in working with ICE because, under Secretary Nome’s leadership, they’re seeing that we have a viable law enforcement partner in the community. You’re actually out making a difference. We’re really ecstatic about seeing the increase in new recruits who are applying.”

WATCH:

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls on Trump to Commute George Santos’ Excessive 7-Year-Sentence: ‘Some Members of Congress Who’ve Done Far Worse Still Walk Free’

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August 5, 2025

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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R‑GA) has formally thrown down the gauntlet.

On Monday, she submitted a letter to the Office of the Pardon Attorney pleading for President Trump to commute the 87-month federal sentence of ex‑Congressman George Santos (NY‑03)—a punishment she calls “a grave injustice” and emblematic of a justice system fractured by politically selective persecution.

Greene wrote on X:

“BREAKING: I just sent a letter to the Office of the Pardon Attorney urging President Trump to commute the sentence of former Congressman @MrSantosNY.

A 7‑year prison sentence for campaign‑related charges is excessive, especially when Members of Congress who’ve done far worse still walk free.

George Santos has taken responsibility. He’s shown remorse. It’s time to correct this injustice. We must demand equal justice under the law!”

Greene signed her letter Aug. 4 to Pardon Attorney Edward Martin Jr. at the Justice Department, demanding Trump use his executive power to undo what she calls a “grave injustice.”

Drawing on inside knowledge, she described Santos as “without a prior criminal record,” “sincerely remorseful,” and portrayed his case as campaign-related maleficence, nothing warranting “one of the most extreme sentences in recent history.”

Green also reminded officials of the roster of current or former lawmakers who actually broke laws or ethics rules yet never lost a day.

The letter reads:

“I am writing to request that your office urge the President to commute the sentence of former Congressman George Santos. In April 2025, Mr. Santos was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. I wholeheartedly believe in justice and the rule of the law, and I understand the gravity of such actions. However, I believe a seven-year sentence for such campaign-related matters for an individual with no prior criminal record extends far beyond what is warranted.

As a Member of Congress, I worked with Mr. Santos on many issues and can attest to his willingness and dedication to serve the people of New York who elected him to office. He committed himself to serving his constituents and did whatever it took to represent their interests in Washington, D.C. He is sincerely remorseful and has accepted full responsibility for his actions. Furthermore, my office has spoken with a pastor of his who discussed the regret and remorse of Mr. Santos, agreeing that the sentence imposed is a grave injustice.

While his crimes warrant punishment, many of my colleagues who I serve with have committed far worse offenses than Mr. Santos yet have faced zero criminal charges. I strongly believe in accountability for one’s actions, but I believe the sentencing of Mr. Santos is an abusive overreach by the judicial system.

Commuting his sentence would acknowledge the severity of his actions and simultaneously provide a path forward in allowing him to make amends for his crimes and strive to better serve the people in his community.

I respectfully request you to urge the President to commute the sentence of Mr. George Santos.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

According to the Advocate, Trump can pardon Santos, but has not been asked about it.

The Advocate reported:

“He lied like hell, and I didn’t know him,” Trump told Newsmax host Rob Finnerty during an interview at the White House. “But he was 100 percent for Trump. I might’ve met him. Maybe, maybe not, but he was a congressman and his vote was solid.”

[…]

In the Newsmax interview, Trump seemed to question the severity of Santos’s sentence. “It sounds like a lot,” he said. “Is it seven years he just went away? It’s a long time.”

Trump went on to say that while he hadn’t been approached about pardoning Santos, the door remained open. “Nobody’s talked to me about it,” he said. “They really haven’t talked to me about [Santos]. They have talked to me about Sean [Combs], but they haven’t talked to me about [George]. But again, with him, I have the right to do it. Nobody’s asked me, but it’s interesting.”

In April, U.S. District Judge Joanna Seybert sentenced Santos to 87 months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft after a guilty plea in August 2024.

Those charges stemmed from fabricating donor names, laundering campaign funds, misusing donor money, and claiming unemployment while campaigning.

Santos took to social media earlier this year to criticize the ruling and pleaded with President Trump for leniency.

He wrote:

This is the hardest statement I have ever written. I write this humbled, chastened, and fully accountable for choices that shattered the faith so many placed in me.

I betrayed the confidence entrusted to me by many. For that, I offer my deepest apology.

When I pled guilty, I did so without reservation. I said then, and I repeat now, that my conduct betrayed my supporters and diminished the institution I was privileged to serve. Those words have weighed on me every day since.

I cannot rewrite the past, but I can control the road ahead. I asked the Court for a sentence that balances accountability with the chance to prove through sustained, measurable action that I can still contribute positively to the community I wronged.

I believe that 7 years is an over the top politically influenced sentence and I implore that President Trump gives me a chance to prove I’m more than the mistakes I’ve made.

Before the sentencing, Santos had slammed federal prosecutors for going easy on violent criminals while trying to make an example out of him.

“I will however remind everyone that they want me to go to prison for 87 months while they let sex traffickers walk freely, they give drug lords slaps on the wrist and most importantly refuse to prosecute the cabal of pedophiles running around in every power structure in the world including the US Government,” he wrote on X.

The post Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Calls on Trump to Commute George Santos’ Excessive 7-Year-Sentence: ‘Some Members of Congress Who’ve Done Far Worse Still Walk Free’ appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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