In light of the arrests of two Chinese nationals who are accused of smuggling a crop-killing fungus across the border, one expert warns that agroterrorism from foreign adversaries could cause a “severe disruption” to the United States. 

“Agroterrorism is any attempt to bring items into the United States intentionally that would impact our food supply,” Kristofor Healey told Fox News Digital. “So this would be biological organisms like we saw in this case in Michigan. A specific lab-grown organism that is intended to attack items that are key to our agricultural survival as a nation.”

Healey worked for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for 15 years, first in an immigration enforcement role and then in counter-corruption operations. Now, he is a private investigator and 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.