Executive Summary
- FBI agents raided a closed biolab in Reedley, CA, on Sunday, seizing boxes of material.
- The operation followed a Saturday raid on a suspected biolab in Las Vegas, NV.
- Property records link both sites to Jia Bei Zhu, who was arrested in 2023 on federal charges.
- Reedley officials confirmed the facility was cleared of biological hazards years ago.
Federal agents executed a search warrant at a shuttered biological laboratory in Reedley, California, on the morning of Sunday, February 1, 2026. The operation occurred just one day after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and local law enforcement raided a suspected biolab facility in Las Vegas, Nevada, signaling a potential expansion of the federal inquiry into illicit medical manufacturing operations.
According to witnesses at the scene in Reedley, multiple FBI agents were observed entering the facility and removing materials. “I just saw a lot of boxes being moved out,” stated witness Elver Ventura. Another local resident, Francisco Fonseca, corroborated reports of federal agents removing boxes from the building, which was previously the center of a controversy regarding the alleged unauthorized manufacturing of medical devices.
Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba confirmed that city officials were notified of the FBI’s presence but were not briefed on the specific scope of the warrant. “There is a search warrant,” Zieba stated. “[The city of] Reedley is not privy to what is in that search warrant, what they are looking for.” However, Zieba emphasized that the facility no longer houses hazardous materials. “I can 100% confirm no biologicals,” Zieba said. “No lab equipment, no chemicals, those were removed and destroyed years ago.”
The search in California follows a raid conducted on Saturday, January 31, by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department at a residence in Northeast Las Vegas suspected of operating as a biolab. Property records indicate that both the Reedley facility and the Las Vegas residence are owned by the same Limited Liability Company (LLC). Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national, is listed in records as a property owner for both locations.
The U.S. Department of Justice previously announced the arrest of Zhu in October 2023. He faces charges related to the manufacturing and distribution of misbranded medical devices and making false statements to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). During the initial 2022 investigation of the Reedley site, officials reportedly discovered blood, tissue, and other bodily fluid samples, alongside unauthorized diagnostic test kits.
Investigative Implications
The synchronization of raids across California and Nevada suggests that federal investigators are likely tracing the logistical or financial remnants of the alleged network rather than mitigating an immediate biological threat, particularly given the confirmed abatement of the Reedley site. The focus on properties linked via LLCs to the primary defendant indicates an effort to uncover the full extent of the operation’s assets and potential continuity. It is important to note that all individuals, including Jia Bei Zhu, are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
