Illegal biolabs in Vegas and California linked to Chinese national with alleged ties to CCP

Jump to...

Print...

(by Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News with AP) – Authorities are investigating a suspected biological laboratory (biolab) with alleged Chinese ties discovered inside a Las Vegas home.

SWAT officers served a search warrant Saturday at a residence on the city’s east side after receiving a tip that a biolab was operating inside the home, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

More than 1,000 pieces of evidence with “potential biological and hazardous materials” were primarily located in a locked garage, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a press briefing on Monday. Authorities said there is no threat to the public.

The property manager of the home, 55-year-old Ori Solomon, (a foreign national) was arrested Saturday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of disposing and discharging hazardous waste, police said. [He was later also charged in federal court for possession of firearms after authorities searched his residence and seized six firearms (four handguns and two rifles), ammunition, and accessories. Solomon is on a temporary E-2 nonimmigrant work visa, which precludes him from owning or possessing firearms. The federal complaint notes he “knowingly possessed” these items despite the prohibition. He appeared in federal court in Las Vegas on February 3, 2026, in connection with this charge].

LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said police took extensive precaution while serving the warrant. Authorities, he said, used a robot to clear the home, collect air samples and deploy hazardous materials teams to remove items safely.

In the garage, investigators found multiple refrigerators with vials of unknown liquids, unknown liquids in gallon-size containers, a centrifuge and other laboratory equipment, authorities said.

“Some of that evidence included biological material and liquids that were meticulously collected and sent to FBI labs for testing,” police said in a statement.

Investigators identified the owner of the Las Vegas home as Jia Bei Zhu, who is already in federal custody following the discovery of an unauthorized biolab in Reedley, California, in 2023. (SEE VIDEOS UNDER “RESOURCES”)

Zhu was arrested in that case on federal charges alleging he manufactured and distributed misbranded medical devices, including tests for COVID-19, pregnancy and HIV, without proper permits and made false statements to the Food and Drug Administration. He is scheduled to go on trial in April.

Zhu’s attorney, Anthony Capozzi, said Monday that his client is not involved in the Las Vegas investigation.

“He is not involved in any kind of a biolab being conducted in a home in Las Vegas,” Capozzi said. “What went on in that residence we are unaware of.”

[Phone records show Zhu, while incarcerated in California on related federal charges (while awaiting trial scheduled for April 2026), called Solomon approximately 467 times over the past year (or “over the past year” in sources like KTNV and others)].

The Reedley biolab drew attention after a clandestine laboratory was discovered operating inside a warehouse owned by Zhu’s company, Universal Meditech Inc. (See the 2023 Fox News video under “RESOURCES” to learn how it was discovered.)

According to a report by the House Select Committee on the People’s Republic of China, Zhu, 62, is a citizen of the PRC [Communist People’s Republic of China] and a wanted fugitive from Canada. The committee alleged Zhu had close ties to the Chinese government and was involved in a transnational criminal enterprise that stole millions of dollars in intellectual property from U.S. companies.

City officials in Reedley first raised concerns in December 2022 after a code enforcement officer noticed a green garden hose protruding from the warehouse. A subsequent inspection revealed extensive laboratory equipment, manufacturing devices and medical-grade freezers inside the building.

Officials also reported finding approximately 1,000 transgenic mice used in disease research. Workers at the facility told authorities the mice were genetically engineered for COVID-19 research.

The FBI is assisting in the Las Vegas investigation, which remains ongoing. Authorities declined to provide additional details about the materials recovered or whether additional arrests are expected.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Published at Fox News on Feb. 3, 2026. Reprinted here for educational purposes only. May not be reproduced on other websites without permission.

Questions

NOTE TO STUDENTS: Before answering the questions, read the “Background” and watch the videos under “Resources.”

1. The first paragraph of a news article should answer the questions who, what, where and when. (In this article, 1st and 2nd paragraphs). List the who, what, where and when of this news item. (NOTE: The remainder of a news article provides details on the why and/or how.)

2. How did the FBI and LVPD discover the illegal alleged biolab in a house in Vegas?

3. What charges have been brought against foreign national Ori Solomon?

4. a) How did SWAT and the police approach the house?
b) What did investigators find when they went in?

5. a) How is the owner of the Las Vegas house, Jia Bei Zhi, a Chinese national linked the the Chinese Communist Party, involved?
b) What charges have been lodged against Zhu? How long has he been in federal custody?

6. What allegations has the House Select Committee on the People’s Republic of China, made against Chinese citizen Zhu?

7. A housecleaner alerted the feds to the biolab in the house in Las Vegas. How did police first learn of Zhu’s biolab in California in 2023?

8. Re-watch the CBS47 video and the 2023 Fox News video under “Resources.” Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba said the city and county warned the federal government
and “when we tried to raise the flag we received such a poor response from the CDC – it’s almost as if they didn’t want anything to do with this.”
County Supervisor Nathan Magsig said “some of the items that were discovered in the Reedley lab…pointed to the fact that there may be additional labs in other parts of the United States.”
She said that when she called, “the CDC hung up on her” and that the CDC never tested a single sample, even at city expense.
Why do you think the Biden administration refused to take any action on the biohazards being secretly developed by a Chinese national aligned with the Chinese Communist Party in a California warehouse?

Background

The tip that led Las Vegas authorities (specifically the FBI) to investigate the suspected illegal biolab in Las Vegas was reported to the FBI on January 9, 2026 and came from a woman identified only as “Kelly.”

Kelly described herself as a house cleaner (or former employee/cleaner) who had worked for several of Ori Solomon’s short-term rental/Airbnb properties, including the house where the biolab was found.
Kelly reported suspicions of lab equipment and medical waste at the property, which appeared consistent with the prior illegal biolab case in Reedley, California.
She mentioned that Solomon had contacted her (or a cleaner) to clean the home.
She described noticing a foul “hospital” smell (foul, stale, stagnant) when the normally locked garage door was left unlocked.

Kelly and another employee reported becoming “deathly ill” (symptoms: breathing issues, extreme fatigue, muscle aches, bedridden) about five days after entering the garage in April 2025 — they attributed it to exposure there.

Additional reports from the tip included observations like “many dead crickets” in the house and illnesses among others who had been there.

This tip prompted the FBI to investigate, which then led to a joint operation with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD).

The investigation linked the property to Jia Bei Zhu (David He), already in custody from the California case, with Solomon as the property manager.

“Kelly” reported the suspected biolab on January 9, 2026, likely prompted by a request from Ori Solomon to clean the property again.

In April 2025, Kelly and another employee entered the normally locked garage (left unlocked at some point) and noticed suspicious elements: lab equipment, medical waste, three refrigerators, vials/beakers with reddish liquids, and a foul “hospital-like” smell (described as foul, stale, stagnant—not clean).
About five days later, in April 2025, both she and the other employee became “deathly ill” with symptoms including breathing issues, extreme fatigue (bedridden), and muscle aches. They attributed this directly to exposure in the garage.
She also reported that Solomon’s wife got sick after entering the garage, “a lot of people” who lived in or stayed at the house (as an Airbnb/short-term rental) had gotten sick — including one woman hospitalized with severe respiratory issues — and there were recurring observations like “many dead crickets” in the master bedroom.

The key trigger for reporting now (in early January 2026) appears to be Solomon recently contacting her (or a cleaner) to clean the home again. This request likely brought her back into contact with the property or reminded her of the prior incident and suspicions.

(from Grok, Feb. 4, 2025 from prompts “who tipped the las vegas authorities about the suspected biolab in a house” and “what caused her to report it now”)