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'I've Never Seen Anything Like This': Here’s What Authorities Found in an Illegal Chinese Biolab in CA

Leah Barkoukis
Leah Barkoukis  |  July 31, 2023 2:45 PM

A shocking discovery was made this spring when a local code enforcement officer noticed a garden hose sticking out of what was supposed to be an abandoned building in Reedley, California.

“We knew that should not have been there and when she went to investigate, she found that there was activity or operation or something happening within that building,” said Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba, according to YourCentralValley.com.

After receiving search warrants to enter the warehouse, local officials were shocked to discover what was inside.

An operational “black-market type of lab testing facility” was set up with about 1,000 bioengineered mice, nearly 200 of which were already dead, infectious agents, incubators, dozens of refrigerators and freezers, and more than 800 types of chemicals.

“This is an unusual situation. I’ve been in government for 25 years. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Zieba said—a sentiment echoed by county health officials.

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“I’ve never seen this in my 26-year career with the County of Fresno,” Assistant Director of the Fresno County Department of Public Health Joe Prado told the outlet. 

Among the thousands of vials were biohazardous materials, including at least 20 types of potentially infectious viral, bacterial, and parasitic agents like E. Coli, malaria, sexually transmitted diseases, and COVID. Bodily fluids were also discovered among other substances. 

"Certain rooms of the warehouse were found to contain several vessels of liquid and various apparatus," court documents said. "Fresno County Public Health staff also observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and thousands of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material."

An investigation found the tenant was Prestige BioTech, a company registered in Nevada and unlicensed for business in California. City officials spoke with Xiuquin Yao, who was identified as the company president, through emails included in the court documents.

Yao told officials that Prestige BioTech moved assets belonging to a defunct company, Universal Meditech Inc., to the Reedley warehouse from Fresno after UMI went under. Prestige Biotech was a creditor to UMI and identified as its successor, according to court documents.

Officials were unable to get any California-based address for either company except for the previous Fresno location from which UMI had been evicted.

"The other addresses provided for identified authorized agents were either empty offices or addresses in China that could not be verified," court documents said.

Prestige BioTech is accused of failing to comply with orders, including providing a plan for biological abatement and disposal of the materials. (NBC News)

Officials have since removed and disposed of all the hazardous and biological materials in the warehouse, and Zieba confirmed to media outlets that their federal partners have active investigations open. 

The discovery led some to wonder how many similar operations are taking place across the country.