COLUMN: A "Lab of Horror" Discovered in Las Vegas

A Man at the Heart of the Network

Authorities arrested Ori Solomon, 55, the manager of the two Las Vegas properties. He faces criminal charges for the improper handling and disposal of hazardous waste, including hydrochloric acid. Solomon was residing in the United States on a temporary work visa that prohibited him from owning a firearm. Court records reveal that Zhu contacted Solomon 467 times in January alone, giving him instructions to manage his properties and transfer money while he awaited trial. Solomon had also been designated as a potential custodian of Zhu’s assets in the event of his release on bail. Investigators believe that Zhu’s wife, who fled to China, had access to the surveillance cameras installed in the Las Vegas home. She reportedly called her husband 3,524 times, possibly orchestrating the operations remotely.

467 calls in one month. Do the math. That’s more than 15 calls a day. What were they saying to each other? What instructions was Zhu giving Solomon? And why didn’t anyone notice this constant flurry of communication before people started getting sick?

The Horror Experienced by the Tenants

Several people who were renting rooms in the two properties became seriously ill after entering the garage. Court documents describe terrifying symptoms: an inability to get out of bed, extreme weakness, and profound malaise. One witness described the smell in the garage as that of a hospital—not a clean hospital, but a foul, stagnant, deathly stench. Another reported the presence of numerous dead crickets throughout the house, a disturbing sign of environmental contamination. The tenants, who knew nothing of the suspicious activities, were unwittingly exposed to potentially lethal substances. The police received several reports regarding the garage, including the presence of three refrigerators in the driveway—a strange detail that should have alerted the authorities much earlier.

These people were just looking for a roof over their heads. A place to sleep. And they found themselves in the middle of a biological nightmare. Imagine renting a room on Airbnb and waking up so sick you can’t move. Imagine breathing in toxic fumes without even knowing it. That’s the reality of this case. Lives shattered by greed and criminal irresponsibility.

A Inventory of Horror

Images released by the FBI and the Las Vegas Police Department show the scale of the discovery. Inside the garages, investigators seized several refrigerators and freezers containing bags of vials and other highly sophisticated testing equipment. Among the items were centrifuges, biosafety cabinets, and red drums containing unidentified liquids. Sheriff Kevin McMahill stated that the equipment appeared consistent with that discovered during the investigation of the Reedley laboratory in California. Authorities have sent more than a thousand samples to laboratories for in-depth testing. The results are not yet known, but FBI Special Agent Christopher Delzotto cautioned that the investigation required systematic and measured steps that could not be rushed. The truth, he said, remains to be discovered.

A thousand samples. A thousand. Let that number sink in. This is no small, amateur laboratory. It is a large-scale, sophisticated, dangerous operation. And it was operating right in the heart of a residential area, right under the authorities’ noses.

A recurring pattern

The Las Vegas case is not an isolated incident. It echoes the discovery of the illegal laboratory in Reedley in 2023, which was also linked to Jia Bei Zhu. In Reedley, a city inspector named Jesalyn Harper had discovered a pipe leading out of a building leased by Universal Meditech Inc., a company that manufactures COVID test kits. Following the pipe, she found hundreds of laboratory rats, more than a dozen deadly diseases, and hundreds of gallons of biological material stored unsafely. Despite repeated calls from City Manager Nicole Zieba to the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the FBI, it took the intervention of Representative Jim Costa for federal authorities to take action. To date, federal inspectors have never tested the suspicious vials or the contents of a refrigerator labeled “Ebola.” Local authorities were left on their own to destroy all the laboratory equipment.

Zieba said something that haunts me: no one bothered to test anything. Vials labeled in Mandarin. A refrigerator marked “Ebola.” And no one saw fit to check. That’s what terrifies me the most—not just the threat itself, but the bureaucratic indifference in the face of danger.

What was really going on in those garages?

Authorities still do not know the exact nature of the tests conducted in the clandestine laboratories. Were medical test kits being manufactured? Were biological experiments being conducted? Were pathogens being stored for future use? Investigators have not yet determined whether Solomon was in direct contact with Zhu or was simply following orders. Special Agent Delzotto emphasized that many questions remain unanswered and that the investigation must proceed without haste. But time is running out. Every day that passes without answers is a day when other clandestine laboratories could operate with impunity. Nicole Zieba, the city manager of Reedley, expressed relief that the Las Vegas case is being taken seriously, unlike the one in Reedley. She had known since 2023 that there were connections to Las Vegas, but was unaware of their exact nature.

We don’t know. We still don’t know. That sentence drives me crazy. How can we not know? How can we let clandestine labs operate for months, even years, without understanding what’s going on there? It’s a total failure of the system.

A Threat That Extends Beyond Las Vegas

This case raises crucial questions about national security and the monitoring of suspicious biological activities. Senator Ron Johnson has expressed concerns about potential links between these laboratories and the Chinese Communist Party. A federal report by the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party had already highlighted the discovery in Reedley of containers labeled in English and Mandarin with references to dengue, HIV, and malaria. Authorities fear that these laboratories may be part of a larger network operating on U.S. soil. The question is no longer whether other laboratories exist, but how many there are and where they are located. Federal agencies must step up their surveillance and coordination to prevent future discoveries. The time for inaction is over.

How many other labs like this one are out there? How many garages, basements, and warehouses are harboring similar operations? The thought sends a chill down my spine. Because if it can happen in Las Vegas and Reedley, it can happen anywhere.

A Belated but Necessary Response

The FBI and Las Vegas police spent the entire weekend investigating the properties after the search began on Friday. Authorities used drones and robots to examine the garage before entering it safely. This precaution underscores the seriousness of the threat. Sheriff McMahill emphasized that the operation was triggered by intelligence leading to the two homes linked to Zhu. Investigators worked tirelessly, aware of the urgency of the situation. Unlike the Reedley case, where federal authorities were slow to intervene, the response in Las Vegas was swift and coordinated. However, questions remain as to why these labs were able to operate undetected for so long. Federal agencies must review their surveillance protocols and strengthen their cooperation with local authorities to prevent future tragedies.

They used drones. Robots. Because they were afraid to go inside. And they were right to be afraid. But why did we have to wait until people got sick before taking action? Why does the worst always have to happen before we wake up?

Justice Pending

Jia Bei Zhu remains in custody awaiting his trial, scheduled for February 23, 2026. U.S. prosecutor Joseph Barton has suggested that a reasonable prison sentence could be as long as eight years if Zhu is found guilty. Judges have repeatedly denied his request for bail, citing his ties to China as a major flight risk. His attorney, Tony Capozzi, has stated that Zhu does not want to return to China and that he would be in danger there. Zhu has also filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Reedley for destruction of his property, alleging excessive use of force and an unreasonable search. At a press conference on Tuesday, Fresno County officials announced that they had been removed from Zhu’s trial. The outcome of this case will have significant implications for how the United States deals with illegal biological laboratories and potential threats to national security.

Eight years. Is that all? For endangering dozens of lives? For operating clandestine labs filled with deadly pathogens? That seems laughably little to me. But maybe it’s better than nothing. Maybe.

The Sudden Awakening

The case of the clandestine laboratory in Las Vegas is not just a simple crime story. It is a warning. An alarm bell we can no longer ignore. Illegal biological laboratories are operating on U.S. soil, endangering public health and national security. Ordinary people, simply looking for a place to live, find themselves exposed to deadly pathogens. And meanwhile, authorities are struggling to coordinate their efforts, leaving gaping holes in our surveillance system. This case reveals the extent of our vulnerability to threats we thought were far away. It reminds us that danger can lurk anywhere—in a garage, in a warehouse, in a residential home. It’s time to act. It’s time to strengthen our defenses. It’s time to take the warning signs seriously before it’s too late. Because next time, we might not be so lucky.

I haven’t slept as well since I heard this story. Because I now know that danger isn’t always where you expect it to be. It lurks in the shadows, in the most ordinary places, waiting for the right moment to strike. And if we do nothing, if we continue to turn a blind eye, that moment will come. Inevitably.

Signed, Jacques Provost