A Las Vegas biolab bust just got worse — the FBI has linked it to a California lab that dealt with dangerous pathogens like HIV and malaria – We Got This Covered
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A Las Vegas biolab bust just got worse — the FBI has linked it to a California lab that dealt with dangerous pathogens like HIV and malaria

This isn’t something you should ever find in a home refrigerator!

The FBI and local police just uncovered a horrifying situation in Las Vegas, finding a possible biological laboratory inside a private home that appears directly linked to an illegal operation in California that contained dangerous pathogens like HIV and malaria. This is absolutely chilling news, and it shows how quickly these unregulated operations can pop up in suburban neighborhoods.

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According to The Hill, on Saturday morning, a Metro SWAT team served a search warrant at a home on Sugar Springs Drive. Law enforcement discovered what they labeled a “possible biological laboratory.” Police confirmed they found refrigerators packed with vials containing unknown liquids. Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill calmed fears during a news conference, stating that this was an isolated incident and there was no threat to the public. 

Neighbors mentioned that the home had been under surveillance before the raid, suggesting this wasn’t a random discovery. Investigators haven’t elaborated on exactly what substances or materials they seized from the Vegas location, but we know samples are being shipped directly to the FBI for crucial testing. Sheriff McMahill noted that one person was in custody connected to the raid, though no case had been officially filed in state or federal court as of Sunday.

The scarier details emerge from the federal case it is connected to

The LLC listed in the Vegas county records for the Sugar Springs home matches the name of the company involved in a federal case centered in Reedley, California. That case centers on a Chinese citizen who is already facing federal charges for allegedly manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices. This man is listed as the registered agent of the Las Vegas-based company that owns the Sugar Springs Drive property.

A federal report from the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party stated that inside the Reedley facility, officials conducting the raid observed blood, tissue, and other bodily fluid samples and serums, alongside thousands of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological materials. This immediately raised concerns that the materials contained dangerous pathogens.

Investigators weren’t wrong. They located containers labeled with horrifying diseases like “dengue fever,” “HIV,” and “malaria,” sometimes written in English or Mandarin. They also found 1,000 mice on site. The Environmental Protection Agency actually had to be called in to clean up all the hazardous chemicals at the illegal Reedley site. This is particularly terrifying when you consider that the US is already battling an epidemic.

It seems this operation might be larger. Documents indicate that two other people are connected to the LLC are tied to a Spring Valley business address, and the company appears to have a separate warehouse location in Las Vegas. This whole situation highlights a serious regulatory gap that needs to be closed immediately to prevent the opening of illegal laboratories.


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Author
Image of Jaymie Vaz
Jaymie Vaz
Jaymie Vaz is a freelance writer who likes to use words to explore all the things that fascinate her. You can usually find her doing unnecessarily deep dives into games, movies, or fantasy/Sci-fi novels. Or having rousing debates about how political and technological developments are causing cultural shifts around the world.