SWAT Raid Uncovers Suspected China-Linked Biolab in Las Vegas Home; FBI Testing Over 1,000 Items

Federal and local authorities executed a search warrant Saturday on an east-side Las Vegas residence after a tip suggested a suspected biological laboratory was operating inside the home. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) officials say more than 1,000 pieces of evidence, many described as potential biological or hazardous materials, were recovered—mostly from a locked garage—and some items have been sent to FBI laboratories for testing.

LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill provided an update on a joint investigation involving a possible biological laboratory located inside a residence in Las Vegas, Nevada.(Fox News)

Investigation and Safety Measures

LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said officers used extensive safety precautions while serving the warrant. A robot swept the residence, air samples were collected, and hazardous-materials teams removed items deemed potentially dangerous. Authorities emphasized there is no known threat to the public at this time.

A worker in a hazmat suit searches through material found at the Las Vegas house.

Evidence Recovered

Investigators reported finding multiple refrigerators containing vials of unknown liquids, gallon-size containers of unidentified liquids, a centrifuge, and other laboratory equipment in the garage. Police said some materials included biological substances that were meticulously packaged and transported to FBI labs for analysis.

Additional charges have been filed against Jia Bei Zhu, 62, the operator of the Reedley, California Bio-Lab and his partner, according to the United States Department of Justice.

Arrest and People Involved

The property manager, 55-year-old Ori Solomon, was arrested at the scene and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges related to disposing and discharging hazardous waste. Authorities identified the homeowner as Jia Bei Zhu, who is already in federal custody after a separate unauthorized biolab was discovered in Reedley, California, in 2023.

Inside of the Chinese-linked California biolab.

"He is not involved in any kind of a biolab being conducted in a home in Las Vegas," said Zhu's attorney, Anthony Capozzi. "What went on in that residence we are unaware of."

Background: Reedley, California Case

In 2023, investigators uncovered a clandestine laboratory in Reedley, California linked to a company associated with Zhu. Federal charges in that case allege Zhu manufactured and distributed misbranded medical devices — including tests for COVID-19, pregnancy and HIV — without required approvals and made false statements to the Food and Drug Administration. The House Select Committee on the People’s Republic of China later reported that Zhu is a citizen of the PRC and alleged he had ties to a transnational criminal enterprise; those are committee findings and remain allegations.

This image made from video provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows law enforcement conducting a search at a house in Las Vegas, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, in Las Vegas.

The Reedley site reportedly contained extensive laboratory equipment, medical-grade freezers, and about 1,000 transgenic mice that workers said were used for disease research. Zhu is scheduled to stand trial in April on the federal charges related to the Reedley matter.

Ongoing Probe

The FBI is assisting with the Las Vegas investigation, which remains active. Authorities have not released further details about the nature of the recovered materials or whether more arrests are expected as testing and the investigation continue.