Thread: Suspected biolab in Las Vegas tied to 2023 California case, police say |

Suspected biolab in Las Vegas tied to 2023 California case, police say

Thao Nguyen USA TODAY

Feb. 3, 2026 Updated Feb. 4, 2026, 8:24 a.m. ET

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Deeper Dive

What legislation aims to increase biolab oversight?

What evidence was found in the Las Vegas biolab search?

What legislation aims to increase biolab oversight?

Who was arrested for handling hazardous waste in Las Vegas?

Federal and local authorities are investigating a suspected biological laboratory found inside a Las Vegas residence that they said is owned by a person connected to a 2023 illegal biolaboratory probe in Central California.
A SWAT team with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department assisted the Federal Bureau of Investigation with serving a search warrant at a residence in northeast Las Vegas on Saturday, Jan. 31, according to police. During the search, police said investigators discovered "evidence of possible biological material to include refrigerators with vials containing unknown liquids."
The search ended early on Monday, Feb. 2, and authorities said investigators recovered over 1,000 pieces of evidence from the residence.

"(Las Vegas police) utilized several technology platforms to safely enter and assess the location before investigators entered the home," police said in a statement. "Some of that evidence included biological material and liquids that were meticulously collected and sent to FBI labs for testing."
Further investigation revealed that the residence's owner was tied to a 2023 illegal biolaboratory investigation in rural California, according to police. The owner, Jia Bei Zhu, has been in federal custody on charges related to the California investigation.

Another suspect, Ori Solomon, 55, was arrested in connection with the Las Vegas investigation and was booked into the Clark County Detention Center for disposing of and discharging hazardous waste, police said. Solomon was the property manager for the Las Vegas residence and a nearby home that was also searched, according to police.

Laboratory-type equipment, containers with unknown substances discovered inside garage

In an update on Monday, Feb. 2, police said they received information over a week ago that laboratory equipment and potentially hazardous materials may have been stored inside a residence in northeast Las Vegas.
"As investigators looked deeper, they learned the property owner was connected to a 2023 illegal biological laboratory investigation in Reedley, California," police said in a statement. "In that California case, investigators reportedly discovered materials possibly associated with infectious diseases, including hepatitis, COVID-19, HIV, malaria, and other potentially dangerous pathogens."

Though it was unknown at the time whether similar materials were present at the Las Vegas residence, police said they launched a joint investigation with the FBI, local fire departments, and other state agencies.
Shortly before 6 a.m. local time on Saturday, Jan. 31, police said a SWAT team served a search warrant at the residence and removed three people who were renting rooms inside the home but were not involved in the investigation. Investigators then searched a locked garage at the home they believed contained the potentially hazardous materials.




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Sheriff Kevin McMahill provided an update Saturday regarding a search warrant involving a suspected biological laboratory inside a residence near Washington Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. This is an isolated incident and there is no threat to the public. On January 31, 2026, Show more





12:45 PM · Feb 2, 2026 <-------- Video


During the search, police said they deployed drones and a tactical robot to clear the area and conduct air sampling before personnel wearing protective equipment entered the garage.
At a news conference, Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill said investigators immediately observed numerous items, including laboratory-type equipment and containers with an unknown liquid substance, that were "consistent in appearance to the items found and described" in the 2023 California investigation.
"Initial search of the garage... identified a bio-safety hood, a bio-safety sticker, a centrifuge, multiple refrigerators, red-brown unknown liquids in gallon-sized containers and refrigerated vials with unknown liquids," Christopher Delzotto, FBI Special Agent in Charge at the Las Vegas office, said during the news conference.

Police noted that due to the "unknown nature of the materials," the operation required multiple controlled entries and decontamination procedures. Evidence collection continued through Sunday, Feb. 1, and the materials were later transferred to an FBI laboratory for testing.
Remediation of the residence was completed at about 2:30 a.m. local time on Monday, Feb. 2, and final site checks were conducted before the scene was cleared and confirmed safe, according to McMahill.
'Fairly shocking': Secret medical lab in California stored bioengineered mice laden with COVID

2023 California biolab investigation

A monthslong investigation into a rural California warehouse uncovered an illegal laboratory filled with samples of infectious agents, medical waste, and mice bioengineered "to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus," local authorities said in July 2023.
At the time, authorities said a Chinese medical company registered in Nevada was operating the unlicensed facility in Reedley, California, a small city southeast of Fresno, California. Health officials launched an investigation into the facility in December 2022 after a code enforcement officer noticed a garden hose attached to a building that was presumed to be vacant and had no active business license.
Further inspection revealed that the facility housed various chemicals, suspected biological materials, bodily fluids, and hundreds of lab mice, among other lab supplies, according to court documents.


In October 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of California announced that Zhu, who also used various other aliases, had been arrested for manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices and for making false statements to the Food and Drug Administration.
From December 2020 to March 2023, prosecutors said Zhu and other co-conspirators manufactured, imported, sold, and distributed hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 test kits in the United States and China. They also manufactured and distributed test kits for HIV, pregnancy, clinical urinalysis, and other medical conditions.

Prosecutors accused Zhu and his co-conspirators of operating through the companies, Universal Meditech Incorporated (UMI) and Prestige Biotech Incorporated (PBI), which were based in Fresno and Reedley. The companies had no authorization to manufacture and distribute the test kits.
"When questioned by FDA officials, Zhu made false statements about his identity, his ownership and control of UMI and PBI, and the activities of UMI and PBI," the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
Zhu was indicted in November 2023, according to prosecutors. In August 2024, prosecutors said Zhu faced additional charges of conspiracy and wire fraud.
Prosecutors accused Zhu and a co-conspirator of misrepresenting to buyers that UMI and PBI could make up to 100,000 COVID-19 test kits per week in the United States. Zhu and his co-conspirator also lied to buyers that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA approved the test kits.
Zhu and his co-conspirator made over $1.7 million through the scheme, according to prosecutors. Zhu remains in custody pending his federal trial in April.

State lawmakers call for more oversight of biolabs

The investigation into the California biolaboratory prompted three state lawmakers to introduce the "Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act" to tighten oversight over highly pathogenic agents and high-containment laboratories. A congressional committee later linked the California biolaboratory to the Chinese Communist Party.
A report released in November 2023 by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party accused Zhu of previously being a "top official at a PRC-state-controlled company" with ties to "military-civil fusion entities."
The report said the California biolaboratory had received "millions of dollars in unexplained payments from PRC banks" during its operations. The report also found that Zhu was a "wanted fugitive from Canada" and had previously stolen millions of dollars of intellectual property from U.S. companies.
Other findings from the report included confirmation that the biolaboratory had contained thousands of samples of potential pathogens, such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and COVID. The report added that the biolaboratory contained nearly 1,000 genetically engineered mice that lab workers said were designed “to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus."

Following the discovery of the potential biolaboratory in Las Vegas, Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley called on Congress to move the bill forward.
"This can’t keep happening," Kiley said in a statement. "The federal government must do more to stop illegal labs from operating in our communities. This bipartisan bill closes loopholes that allow dangerous facilities like these to operate under the radar."
Contributing: Saleen Martin, USA TODAY

FBI investigating suspected biolab found inside Las Vegas home

Suspected Las Vegas ‘Biological Lab’ Reportedly Has Ties To Illegal Chinese-Run Lab In California

by Daily Caller News Foundation
February 2, 2026 at 1:24 pm
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A Las Vegas home the FBI raided Saturday — alleged to contain a potential biological laboratory — is owned by a Chinese-run company connected to an illegal biolab in California, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.



Local Las Vegas authorities and the FBI found “refrigerators with vials containing unknown liquids” inside the Nevada home, and the city’s Metro SWAT team served a warrant to search the home for a “biological laboratory,” according to multiple local outlets. The registered agent of the limited liability company (LLC) that bought the Las Vegas home in 2022 is the same Chinese national in federal custody as part of the ongoing investigation into the illegal California biolab, the Hill reported.
Jia Bei Zhu, 64, and his romantic business partner, Zhaoyan Wang, are listed as owners of the Sugar Springs residence, property records show, and Zhu’s LLC appears to also own a warehouse location in Las Vegas, according to the Hill.
Zhu was arrested in October 2023 for manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices from an illegal biolab in Reedley, Ca. Some products, such as pregnancy tests, would also be shipped from China to an address in Las Vegas, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Should authorities investigate connections between the Las Vegas home and the illegal California biolab?

Investigators found “pathogen-labeled containers” with labels such as “dengue fever,” “HIV” and “malaria,” along with 1,000 mice kept in inhumane, overcrowded conditions at the California biolab, multiple outlets reported. Zhu used Prestige Biotech Inc. (PBI) and its successor, Universal Meditech Inc. (UMI), to operate the illegal California lab, and would ship hundreds of thousands of test kits — including pregnancy tests, HIV tests, clinical urinalysis tests and COVID-19 tests, court filings show
“Inside the Reedley Biolab, officials observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and thousands of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material,’ raising the concern that they contained pathogens,” according to a federal report from the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Some of these vials were labeled with the names of pathogens in English or Mandarin.



Zhu and others allegedly manufactured and sold the test kits from December 2020 to March 2023, according to a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California. Zhu denied any knowledge of manufacturing or distribution history and, according to the DOJ, made false statements about being hired by UMI and PBI.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Suspected Las Vegas ‘Biological Lab’ Reportedly Has Ties To Illegal Chinese-Run Lab In California – IJR

Secret Chinese BIOLABS operating in the country raise concerns over regulatory gaps and national security threats

02/13/2026 // Ramon Tomey // 840 Views

Tags: badhealth, badscience, big government, biolabs, biological weapons, bioterrorism, biowar, California, China, City of Reedley, clandestine biolabs, Dangerous, illegal biolabs, infectious diseases, invasion usa, Jia Bei Zhu, las vegas, medical experiments, national security, Nevada, Ori Solomon, pathogens, Plague, Spygate

• Unlicensed biological laboratories in California and Nevada linked to Chinese national Jia Bei Zhu revealed dangerous pathogens (HIV, malaria, hepatitis, SARS-CoV-2) and genetically engineered mice, raising concerns about foreign espionage and public health risks.
• Zhu's labs produced counterfeit COVID-19 and pregnancy test kits while receiving $1.3 million in suspicious Chinese bank transfers. His companies engaged in $1.7 million in fraudulent sales, misbranding products and violating biosafety laws.
• Despite FBI intervention, jurisdictional delays stalled cleanup of hazardous materials from the California location. A second illegal lab in Las Vegas was discovered, stocked with unlabeled biohazard materials, suggesting a broader clandestine network.
• Zhu, a fugitive from Canadian justice for intellectual property theft, allegedly directed lab operations remotely from prison, making thousands of calls to China. His activities align with China's military-civil fusion strategy, raising suspicions of state-backed biowarfare.
• Congressional reports warn that undiscovered labs may exist nationwide, posing risks of accidental outbreaks or intentional bioweapon deployment. Proposed legislation seeks to tighten regulations, but questions remain about whether these labs were criminal enterprises or part of a deliberate attack.

Clandestine biological laboratories uncovered in California and Nevada have exposed glaring vulnerabilities in U.S. biosecurity oversight while raising urgent questions about foreign espionage, illegal pathogen trafficking and potential public health threats.
At the center of this scandal is Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national with multiple aliases and a history of corporate fraud. His involvement spans fraudulent Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits, unlicensed genetic engineering experiments and unexplained financial transfers from Chinese banks.
The saga began in December 2022 when Jesalyn Harper, a code enforcement officer for the City of Reedley in California, responded to an anonymous tip about suspicious activity at a supposedly vacant warehouse. Inside, she discovered thousands of vials containing infectious agents – HIV, malaria, hepatitis, and SARS-CoV-2 – alongside nearly 1,000 genetically modified mice allegedly bred to "catch and carry" COVID-19.
The facility, operated by Prestige Biotech Inc., was also mass-producing counterfeit pregnancy and COVID-19 test kits. Despite immediate involvement by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), regulatory paralysis delayed cleanup for months, as no single agency had clear authority over the hazardous materials.
Now, a second illegal lab has surfaced in Las Vegas, tied to the same shadowy network. On Jan. 31, FBI agents and local police raided a residential garage owned by Zhu.
Authorities uncovered refrigerators stocked with unlabeled vials, biohazard equipment and unknown liquids matching those found in Reedley. The raid followed a tip by a cleaner named "Kelly," who was contracted by property manager Ori Solomon to check on the property.
The 55-year-old Solomon, allegedly acting on Zhu’s orders from prison, also faces charges for disposing of hazardous waste. Shockingly, Zhu – already jailed for fraud and misbranding medical devices – reportedly orchestrated lab operations remotely. He reportedly made nearly 7,000 phone calls from his California prison cell, including over 3,500 to his wife in China.
From Wuhan to Vegas: How China's biolab network exploits U.S. weaknesses

The implications are staggering. A congressional report confirms Zhu's lab received $1.3 million in unexplained payments from Chinese banks, while his companies – Prestige Biotech and Universal Meditech – funneled misbranded test kits into U.S. and Chinese markets, netting $1.7 million in fraudulent sales.
Worse, Zhu is a fugitive from Canadian justice, having fled a $330 million judgment for intellectual property theft tied to biotech espionage. His brazen disregard for law and biosafety protocols suggests these labs were not mere profit schemes but nodes in a broader network with possible state backing.
Historical context magnifies concerns: The Wuhan lab leak theory, once dismissed as conspiracy, is now widely acknowledged as a plausible COVID-19 origin. Meanwhile, China's military-civil fusion strategy explicitly blurs lines between private industry and state-driven biotechnology research.
Zhu's operations – spanning Canada, Hong Kong and the U.S. – mirror this playbook, exploiting regulatory gaps to traffic pathogens and evade accountability. "No one is looking for these labs," Harper warned. "This could be happening all over the United States."
BrightU.AI's Enoch warns that clandestine Chinese-operated biolabs in the U.S. pose a grave threat by handling dangerous pathogens with reckless disregard for safety protocols, risking accidental outbreaks or intentional biowarfare. The lack of oversight and government transparency suggests either gross incompetence or deliberate concealment of these facilities, endangering public health and national security.
With bipartisan lawmakers now pushing the Preventing Illegal Laboratories Act, the case underscores a dire need for tightened oversight. Yet the deeper question remains: Were these labs merely criminal enterprises, or part of a calculated effort to weaponize biological materials on U.S. soil?
As Zhu awaits trial, the specter of undiscovered labs looms. For a nation still reeling from COVID-19's upheaval, the stakes could not be higher. The Reedley and Las Vegas discoveries are not isolated incidents – they are warnings.
Watch this video about federal authorities raiding a similar Chinese biolab located in Fresno County back in 2018.

This video is from the HaloRock™ channel on Brighteon.com.
Sources include:
TheEpochTimes.com 1
TheEpochTimes.com 2
USAToday.com
BrightU.ai
Brighteon.com

Secret Chinese BIOLABS operating in the country raise concerns over regulatory gaps and national security threats – NaturalNews.com