June 3 (UPI) -- The Justice Department on Tuesday announced charges against two Chinese scholars accused of smuggling a dangerous biological pathogen with agroterrorism potential into the United States.

The scholars, Yunqing Jian, 33, and Zunyong Liu, 34, are facing charges of conspiracy, goods smuggling, making false statements and visa fraud.

"The alleged actions of these Chinese nationals -- including a loyal member of the Chinese Communist Party -- are of the gravest national security concerns," U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon Jr. said in a statement.

"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

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