Las Vegas residential biolab raided by SWAT team officers

Authorities are investigating an alleged biological lab with alleged ties to China discovered in a Las Vegas home.

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

More than 1,000 pieces of evidence containing “potentially biological and dangerous materials” were located mostly in a locked garage, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill said during a press briefing Monday. Authorities said there was no threat to the public.

The home’s property manager, Ori Solomon, 55, was arrested Saturday and booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of disposing and dumping hazardous waste, police said.

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

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LVMPD Sheriff Kevin McMahill said police took numerous precautions when executing the warrant. Authorities, he said, used a robot to clean the house, collect air samples and deploy hazardous materials teams to safely dispose of the items.

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

“Some of this evidence included biological material and fluids that were meticulously collected and sent to FBI laboratories for analysis,” police said in a statement.

A worker in a hazmat suit searches through materials found in Las Vegas home. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department)

Investigators identified the owner of the Las Vegas home as Jia Bei Zhu, who is already in federal custody after the discovery of an unauthorized biolab in Reedley, California, in 2023.

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

Additional charges have been filed against Jia Bei Zhu, 62, Reedley’s operator, California Bio-Lab and his partner, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. (Ministry of Justice)

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

“He is not involved in any type of biological laboratory being conducted in a house in Las Vegas,” Capozzi said. “We don’t know what happened in this residence.”

Inside California biolab linked to China. (Town of Reedley)

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The Reedley biolab gained attention after the discovery of a clandestine laboratory operating inside a warehouse owned by Zhu’s company, Universal Meditech Inc.

According to a report by the House Select Committee on the People’s Republic of China, Zhu, 62, is a citizen of the PRC and a wanted fugitive from Canada. The committee alleged that 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 American companies.

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

Authorities also reported discovering about 1,000 transgenic mice used in disease research. Workers at the facility told authorities the mice had been genetically modified for COVID-19 research.

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This image taken from video provided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department shows law enforcement conducting a search of a Las Vegas home, Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026, in Las Vegas. (LVMPD via AP) (LVMPD via AP)

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

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.