Federal and local authorities have uncovered what appears to be yet another clandestine laboratory tied to a Chinese national already facing serious federal charges. This time, the discovery unfolded in Las Vegas. And it is raising fresh concerns about national security, public health, and oversight failures.
The man at the center of it all, Jia Bei Zhu, is already awaiting trial.
SWAT Raid Uncovers Suspected Lab in Las Vegas
In the early hours of Jan. 31, officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department converged on a home in the city’s northeast corridor. Drones hovered overhead. Tactical units secured the perimeter. Inside, investigators say they found troubling evidence.
The property, located on Sugar Springs Drive near Washington Avenue and Hollywood, appeared outwardly ordinary. However, inside a locked garage, authorities reported discovering “refrigerators, a freezer, laboratory-type equipment, and numerous containers holding unknown liquid substances,” according to police.
Before officers entered, a tactical robot dog conducted air sampling and explored the interior. Meanwhile, three renters living in the main house were removed safely and are not considered targets of the investigation.
Authorities carefully collected the biological materials over the weekend. The items were first transported to a Southern Nevada Health District facility for secure storage, then transferred to an FBI laboratory for further testing.
Sheriff Connects Vegas Lab to California Case
On Monday, LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill made a striking statement.
“These items, importantly, were consistent in appearance to the items found and described in the Reedley, California, lab investigation.”
LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill added that “the home was owned by the same individual connected to a prior, illegal bio-lab investigation in Reedley, California, that occurred in 2023.”
That individual is Jia Bei Zhu.
The Reedley Biolab and Deadly Pathogens
The Las Vegas discovery follows the explosive 2023 investigation in Reedley, California. There, officials uncovered a secret lab containing thousands of biological samples, including Ebola, COVID-19, HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis.
The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party reported that the California operation functioned under Zhu’s direction and control. The report described him as a Chinese citizen connected to regime-linked companies and military-civil fusion entities.
According to the report, Zhu entered the United States under a false identity, “David He,” while evading a $330 million Canadian judgment for stealing American intellectual property.
Investigators allege he built a network of companies and amassed a large supply of potentially dangerous pathogens. Authorities further claim the materials were poorly stored in unlicensed and unregistered labs.
Inside the Reedley facility, officials found roughly 1,000 genetically engineered mice designed to replicate the human immune system. One lab worker reportedly told local authorities that the transgenic mice were altered “to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus.” Dead mice were allegedly disposed of “without the use of a licensed medical waste hauler.”
Additionally, congressional investigators reported that the Reedley lab received millions of dollars in unexplained payments from Chinese communist banks.
Arrests and Expanding Charges
Federal agents arrested Zhu on Oct. 19, 2023. He was indicted the following month for allegedly distributing adulterated and misbranded COVID-19 test kits and for making false statements about his identity.
In 2024, prosecutors added conspiracy and wire fraud charges.
Zhaoyan Wang, described as Zhu’s romantic partner and business associate, was also charged. She allegedly helped facilitate fraud through Universal Meditech Inc. and Prestige Biotech Inc., laboratories she operated in Reedley and Fresno. Wang is likewise a Chinese national.
Sheriff McMahill confirmed that Zhu remains in federal custody and is scheduled for a trial hearing on Feb. 23.
Meanwhile, Las Vegas authorities arrested 55-year-old property manager Ori Solomon on a charge of disposing and discharging hazardous waste. He was booked into the Clark County Detention Center.
FBI Expands Search
On Saturday, the FBI searched a second Las Vegas home on Temple View Drive. Officials reported finding no threat at that location. Agents also revisited the Reedley lab site on Sunday.
The developments have sparked alarm among lawmakers.
Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley (R-Calif.) responded bluntly: “This can’t keep happening.”
He added, “The federal government must do more to stop illegal labs from operating in our communities.”
Kiley, alongside California Reps. Jim Costa and David Valadao, has called for a hearing on the Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025.
A Broader Pattern?
The Las Vegas raid follows earlier revelations that Chinese operatives were coordinating intimidation and espionage efforts through illegal police stations inside the United States. Now, with two suspected bio-labs tied to the same individual, questions are mounting.
How did these facilities operate unnoticed? Were warning signs missed? And what safeguards are in place to prevent another case like this?
For now, federal testing continues, and Zhu awaits trial.
But for many Americans, the discovery of another suspected lab has already deepened unease.
