This past weekend, a search warrant execution by police in Las Vegas uncovered what is suspected to be an illegal biolab at a local property.
Authorities reported that the residence, situated near East Washington Avenue and North Hollywood Boulevard, contained substances with potential hazards. Due to these dangers, the SWAT team conducted the search in hazmat suits.
To safely assess the premises, law enforcement deployed a robot to clear the area and collect air samples, as stated by Sheriff Kevin McMahill of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, according to CNN.
Inside the property, they discovered ‘possible biological material,’ which included ‘refrigerators containing vials of unknown liquids.’
Reports indicate that the homeowner is Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national previously arrested in 2023 for running an unauthorized biolab in California.
He faces allegations of manufacturing and distributing unapproved medical devices in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), and for providing false information to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as outlined in a press release from the US Attorney’s Office dating back two years.
At a press conference, McMahill elaborated on the intricate and perilous search operation conducted.
In a Facebook statement released yesterday (February 3), he said: “A little over a week ago, LVMPD received information that laboratory equipment and potentially hazardous materials may have been stored inside the home.
“As investigators looked deeper, they learned the property owner was connected to a 2023 illegal biological laboratory investigation in Reedley, California.
“In that California case, investigators reportedly discovered materials possibly associated with infectious diseases including hepatitis, COVID-19, HIV, malaria, and other potentially dangerous pathogens.”
See video footage of the search here:
McMahill further explained: “Investigators focused on a locked garage believed to contain the materials. To minimize risk, LVMPD deployed drones for aerial awareness and a tactical robot to clear the interior and conduct air sampling before personnel entered.
“Once safe to proceed, the ARMOR team entered wearing protective equipment. Investigators observed refrigerators, a freezer, laboratory-type.”
The entire operation spanned over 24 hours, beginning early Saturday morning and concluding late Sunday evening.
The samples found at the location have been forwarded to the FBI for analysis. Meanwhile, 55-year-old Ori Solomon faces charges of disposing and discharging hazardous waste.
While authorities state the property belongs to Jia Bei Zhu, his attorney asserts that his client was ‘not involved in any kind of a biolab being conducted in a home in Las Vegas’.
“What went on in that residence we are unaware of,” he told CNN.