March 18, 2026

Two Illegal Biolabs Reveal Gaps in U.S. Biosecurity

By: Sam Howell

This article was originally published in Lawfare.

Last month, law enforcement officials launched an investigation into a suspected biolab in the Las Vegas home of Chinese national Zhu Jia Bei. Two years prior, Zhu had been arrested and indicted for his involvement with a similarly unauthorized biolab in Reedley, California. He also maintains extensive connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Zhu may not be alone: CCP-linked biolabs on American soil raise serious concerns about foreign surveillance, intellectual property theft, and deliberate threats to public health and national security.

The discovery of CCP-linked biolabs in Las Vegas and Reedley should serve as a wake-up call for U.S. policymakers.

Zhu’s story brings to light an uncomfortable truth: U.S. policymakers seem to have little understanding of how many unauthorized biolabs are operating in the United States. They are unprepared to counter the biological hazards such labs may produce, putting Americans’ safety at risk. Policymakers must take immediate action to protect Americans and strengthen federal oversight of unauthorized biological research activity.

Read the full article on Lawfare.

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