- 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.
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