Authorities searched a Las Vegas home on Saturday (January 31), uncovering a suspected unlicensed biological lab and seizing refrigerators containing vials of unknown liquids, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The investigation, conducted with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), is connected to an earlier illegal lab case in Reedley, California, from 2022, in which samples labeled as HIV, malaria, and other pathogens were discovered.
During a joint press briefing, Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill said that investigators found a refrigerator “containing vials filled with unknown liquids” inside the east valley residence near Washington Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. Sheriff McMahill emphasized that there was “no threat to the public” and that the incident appeared isolated. The substances will be transported to a secure health facility for further testing to determine if they are hazardous.
Property records show that the home is owned by an LLC tied to Jia Bei Zhu, also known as David He, a Chinese national previously arrested and charged in connection with the Reedley, California case. Federal prosecutors allege Zhu ran illegal labs,under names like Universal Meditech Incorporated and Prestige Biotech Incorporated, that manufactured and distributed misbranded medical devices and test kits in the United States and China.
In the 2022 Reedley investigation, officials discovered thousands of vials of biological materials, some labeled with the names of dangerous pathogens, along with genetically modified mice used for research purposes. A congressional report noted that the Reedley lab received funding from Chinese banks and was storing infectious agents such as HIV, dengue fever, and COVID-19. The Environmental Protection Agency was later called in to remove hundreds of bottles of chemicals from the site.
On Saturday, the Las Vegas raid resulted in the arrest of a property manager associated with the location; the main individual connected to both labs, Zhu, remains in federal custody awaiting trial on earlier charges. No criminal charges had been filed in relation to the Las Vegas. Investigators are examining up to twenty other locations for possible connections but have not found concerning evidence elsewhere.
The substances collected will undergo testing by federal authorities. Lawmakers have introduced legislation in response to the California case to tighten oversight of unregulated laboratories. Sheriff McMahill reiterated that the public is not at risk as the investigation continues.
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