The black market site had thousands of vials and other containers, with labels such as HIV, Ebola, hepatitis, rubella, and malaria.
A black market Chinese biolab in Reedley, California, located about 25 miles southeast of Fresno, received more than $1.3 million in unexplained payments from banks in China while in operation, according to U.S. lawmakers.
The illegal biolab had thousands of vials and other containers, some labeled with potentially deadly infectious agents on site, including HIV and Ebola, according to officials.
On Nov. 15, Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R–Calif.) and Rep. Jim Costa (D–Calif.) discussed their concerns about the lab at a press conference with local officials and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
“We’re thinking about how COVID really came out of China and a lot of questions that are there in line, that we would allow a Chinese nationalist to come to this country and to set up a private lab,” Mr. Costa said during the press conference. “And what we found is that all it takes to set up a private lab in America is to get a business license.”
The committee also issued a 42-page report on the issue which criticizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies for not fully investigating the site or helping dispose of the hazardous substances.
“Local officials spent months repeatedly trying to obtain assistance from the CDC,” the report stated, noting “the CDC refused to speak with them and, on a number of occasions, it was reported by local officials that the CDC hung up on them mid-conversation.”
Local officials received a similar response when they reached out to other federal agencies, according to the report.
The research lab came to light in December 2022 when Jesalyn Harper, a code enforcement officer for the city, noticed a green garden hose protruding from the back of a warehouse that was believed to be vacant.
According to the report, Ms. Harper initially referred the case to Fresno County and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
By Sophie Li
