The discovery, made during a routine building inspection in Ridley, has since raised national security and public health concerns across the United States.
In 2023, a local inspector entered a seemingly vacant warehouse after noticing a foul odor, the Los Angeles Times reported. Inside, authorities discovered an unlicensed and illegally operated laboratory containing hundreds of vials labeled as containing pathogens, e.g. Coronavirus diseaseHIV and Ebola.
Investigators also found approximately 1,000 lab mice, as well as makeshift equipment and biological materials stored in unsafe conditions.
Officials later described the site as an illegal operation that lacked basic security protocols.
Key figures and alleged connections
The warehouse is linked to Zhu Jiabei, a Chinese national who has been charged by U.S. prosecutors with running a fraudulent COVID-19 testing program.
According to Anadolu Agency, Zhu is suspected of importing a large number of test kits from China. China and falsely claimed they were made in the United States, earning an estimated $1.7 million.
The Los Angeles Times, citing a U.S. congressional investigation, also found that Zhu received more than $1.3 million in unidentified payments from Bank of China.
Also read: Experts warn fungus ‘worse than coronavirus’ after smuggled into U.S. from China
Separately, authorities arrested Israeli citizen Ori Solomon in connection with the investigation. Federal agents raided a Las Vegas property earlier in 2026 and found similar lab equipment and unknown biological material, CBS News reported.
Multiple sites, growing attention
Officials said the materials found at the Las Vegas property were very similar to those recovered from the Reedley warehouse. Investigators seized more than 1,000 samples of unknown liquids, as well as laboratory tools such as centrifuges and biosafety equipment.
Officials said the materials appear similar and investigators are examining possible connections.
Law enforcement agencies have expressed concern that there may be more undiscovered facilities.
Also read: Chinese lab begins to unravel one of particle physics’ great mysteries
Questions about monitoring and response
local officials are california criticized the federal government’s initial response. Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba told CBS News that early warnings from local authorities were not adequately addressed, saying it felt like agencies “wanted nothing to do with this.”
The discovery raises concerns about regulatory loopholes, particularly around the handling of hazardous biological materials in unlicensed laboratories.
Although Zhu is charged with medical product fraud, authorities continue to investigate the biological aspects of the case, including the source and purpose of stocking the pathogen.
Officials stressed there was no conclusive evidence of an active biological threat at the lab.
