LAS VEGAS — Federal and local authorities are investigating what they have described as an illegal, unlicensed biological laboratory discovered inside a residential property in the Las Vegas Valley, a case that has rapidly escalated due to its links to a prior California biolab investigation, reports of serious illness, and the involvement of foreign nationals already under federal scrutiny.
The property, located on Sugar Springs Drive near Washington Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, was searched in late January by a joint task force involving the FBI, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police, and hazardous-materials specialists, including the Nevada National Guard. Investigators recovered refrigerators, freezers, laboratory equipment, and hundreds to more than 1,000 vials containing unknown liquids, according to law enforcement statements and court filings.
Property manager released, but investigation far from over
The individual most directly tied to the Las Vegas site is Ori Solomon, 55, identified by
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| Ori Solomon |
authorities as the property manager of the home. Solomon, an Israeli citizen in the United States on a non-immigrant visa, was arrested and charged federally with unlawful possession of firearms, as his visa status prohibits gun ownership. Multiple firearms were seized from his residence.
Solomon also faces a state charge related to the improper disposal of hazardous waste, stemming from the biolab investigation. A federal judge later ordered his release pending trial under strict conditions, including surrendering his passports, remaining within the continental United States, and notifying the court of any travel outside Clark County.
Notably, Solomon has not been charged with operating the biolab itself, a point authorities emphasize even as they acknowledge that testing of the recovered materials is still ongoing.
Direct link to California biolab case under congressional investigation
What has intensified scrutiny is the confirmed connection to a 2023 illegal biolab discovered in Reedley, California, near Fresno. That earlier case involved a warehouse filled with pathogens, laboratory animals, and unapproved medical tests, including materials labeled as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, and COVID-19.
Federal prosecutors in California charged Jia Bei Zhu, a Chinese national also known as David He, with manufacturing and distributing misbranded medical devices and lying to federal authorities. Zhu remains in custody. Congressional investigators later revealed that entities tied to the California lab had received millions of dollars in funding from Chinese banks, raising unresolved questions about oversight, intent, and enforcement failures.
Authorities now say materials and equipment found in Las Vegas appear consistent with those recovered in Reedley, and property records show that the Las Vegas home was owned by an LLC linked to Zhu. Investigators have also documented frequent communications between Zhu and Solomon, even while Zhu has been incarcerated.
Illness reports raise alarm
According to police reports, individuals who entered or worked inside the Las Vegas property became severely ill after exposure. One worker told investigators the garage contained beakers filled with “reddish liquid” and emitted a strong, hospital-like odor described as foul and stagnant.
Both the worker and another individual reportedly experienced severe respiratory symptoms, fatigue, muscle aches, and an inability to get out of bed days after entering the garage. Police reports further state that other occupants and short-term renters became sick, including one woman who was hospitalized with serious breathing issues. Investigators also noted unexplained environmental signs, such as dead insects and unusually high electricity usage, consistent with high-energy illicit operations.
These accounts are part of official arrest reports, not social media speculation.
The discovery of unlicensed biological materials inside a residential neighborhood, combined with foreign financial ties and prior violations, has fueled widespread online speculation, including claims that the lab was producing bioweapons or preparing attacks intended to be blamed on Iran.
The unanswered questions
Despite official assurances, the case raises serious unresolved issues:
How were hazardous biological materials able to be stored in a residential neighborhood without detection?
Why do entities linked to a prior illegal biolab reappear in a second state?
Why have no federal bio-related charges been filed yet, despite reported illness and extensive lab equipment?
And how many similar operations may exist beyond this one?
Was this a potential Israeli false flag set up to blame Iran on a terror attack?
For now, investigators insist there is no immediate public threat. But as lab results remain pending and connections between Nevada and California deepen, the Las Vegas biolab case stands as a stark warning about regulatory blind spots, enforcement delays, and the real-world risks of unmonitored biological activity inside American communities.
Authorities say the investigation remains active and ongoing.
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