🚨 REPORT | An Israeli citizen was arrested in Las Vegas after police found a cache of weapons, lab equipment, and more than 1,000 samples of unknown liquids at a home tied to a widening biosecurity investigation, the Los Angeles Times reports. Ori Solomon, 55, is accused of illegally possessing firearms and improperly disposing of hazardous waste. Authorities said officers in protective gear removed materials from the home, which were consistent with those found in a separate case in California. That investigation began when a foul smell led officials to a warehouse in Reedley, where they discovered a hidden lab containing thousands of biological samples, 1,000 lab mice, and evidence of at least 20 infectious agents including SARS, hepatitis, and dengue. Prosecutors say Chinese national Jia Bei Zhu ran a scheme from there, importing COVID tests from China and selling them as American-made, and a congressional report flagged over $1.3 million in unexplained payments from Chinese banks tied to the operation. Investigators found Zhu had listed a Las Vegas house as bail collateral and called it hundreds of times over the past year, making it a key lead that led police to raid the Sugar Springs Drive property, where Ori Solomon was identified as the manager.
