Hidden Network of Illegal Bio Labs Threatens U.S. Security, Rep. Kiley Warns
Representative Kevin Kiley, R-Calif., stated on Thursday that the facts surrounding an illegal biological laboratory discovered in a Las Vegas home are “really alarming,” comparing the case to something ripped from the pages of an international thriller novel.
Kiley argued that the circumstances indicate a far more serious threat than authorities have publicly acknowledged. He noted that the Las Vegas lab, allegedly tied to a Chinese national, mirrors an earlier incident in Reedley, California, where an illicit bio lab linked to Chinese nationals was discovered years ago. Kiley called for immediate investigation into both cases, stating that the business explanations provided during the Reedley operation never made sense and appeared to be a cover story.
In the California case, Kiley emphasized that operators claimed they were selling COVID-19 test kits but “just got counterfeit ones from China and sold them.” He questioned why dangerous biological materials—such as HIV, Ebola, and tuberculosis—would be stockpiled for such purposes. “So, why do they need to have these vials with all these dangerous pathogens?” Kiley asked.
Kiley warned that federal authorities lack understanding of how many similar labs might exist nationwide. He cited a House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party report that concluded the scope of the problem remains unknown. The Las Vegas lab appears connected to the same network as the Reedley operation, according to Kiley.
He also criticized the failure of Congress to act despite prior discoveries, noting that legislation he introduced with Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif., has not been passed in recent years. “Why hasn’t this bill been passed in the last couple of years after we learned about this lab?” Kiley questioned. The bipartisan measure would establish new requirements for pathogen distributors and strengthen oversight mechanisms to identify and shut down illegal operations.
Kiley pressed lawmakers to act decisively: “How many more do we have to discover until we take serious systemic action to identify and shut down any other such labs that might exist?”
