WASHINGTON, D.C. - On February 1, FBI agents searched a Las Vegas home
following a code violation call and discovered vials containing unknown
substances suspected to be part of an illegal biological lab operation.
The property owner, a Chinese national arrested in 2023 for smuggling
Fusarium graminearum - a potential agroterrorism fungus - remains in jail
after pleading not guilty.
During the search, a property manager
at the location was arrested. The lab allegedly contained thousands of
samples labeled as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis, COVID-19, and Ebola, and
received funding from Chinese banks.
This incident follows a 2023
case in Reedley, California, prompting Congressman Kevin Kiley to call
for hearings on legislation addressing unregulated facilities.
The
Las Vegas investigation escalated when authorities suspected illegal
medical-type biological research materials, leading the Joint Terrorism
Task Force to take over. Materials in vials were removed and are being
transported to a secure county health facility for testing to determine
their nature and potential harm.
No immediate danger has been identified, and searches of 20 additional locations have found nothing concerning so far.
NORTH AMERICA - On August 8 the National Interagency Fire Center said 97 large fires remained under containment efforts across the United States, with 83 new fires and 9 new large fires recorded in the preceding 24 hours, while British Columbia authorities stated a provincial state of emergency afte
MEXICO - On July 31, the U.S. Mission to Mexico stated that local security forces in the state of Michoacan have been put on alert due to reports of roadblocks and criminal activity in the state which have the potential to escalate.
WASHINGTON - The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency issued Public Service Announcement I-073026-PSA on July 30 stating that malicious cyber actors have conducted cyber attacks against Operational Technology devices, specifically Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley
BERING SEA - The U.S. Coast Guard monitored the Chinese research ships Xue Long and Xue Long 2 as they transited north through the U.S. exclusive economic zone and over the U.S. extended continental shelf in the Bering Sea, marking the first Chinese vessels tracked in this area this year.
