Investigators could be on scene for days as they sort through the hazardous materials, authorities said.
Authorities in Las Vegas raided a home in the early morning hours of Jan. 31, uncovering an alleged illegal biological laboratory that could be linked to a similar biolab operated by Chinese nationals discovered two years ago in California.
“This is an extremely complex investigation,” Las Vegas Sheriff Kevin McMahill told reporters Saturday.
SWAT teams and the FBI entered the home on Sugar Springs Drive in northeast Las Vegas just before 6 a.m. on Jan. 31 after they were tipped off about the possible biolab located inside, McMahill said.
A video of the search showed SWAT team members entering the driveway of the property covered in protective gear as they approached the garage.
The teams entered and found evidence of biological materials, including refrigerators containing vials of unknown liquids.
The police department’s hazard team is working with other local teams, the FBI, and fire departments to ensure proper recovery and mitigation of the items, McMahill said.
One person was detained during the operation, but McMahill did not disclose their identity.
The sheriff said authorities could remain on the scene for days as they process it.
The home is owned by David Destiny Discovery LLC, according to the Clark County Assessor’s Office.
David Destiny Discovery LLC was registered in Nevada under the name David He, the same name as the pseudonym used by Jia Dei Zhu—who was arrested in October 2023 in connection with the illegal biolab in Reedley, California.
Zhu is a Chinese citizen who formerly lived in Clovis, California. In 2023, he was charged with manufacturing and distributing medical devices in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and for making false statements to the Food and Drug Administration, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to court documents, Zhu and others allegedly manufactured, imported, sold, and distributed hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 test kits, and HIV, pregnancy, clinical urinalysis, and other kits in the United States and China.
Their companies—Universal Meditech Incorporated and Prestige Biotech Incorporated—were based in Fresno and Reedley.
