May 12, 2026 - REEDLEY, Calif. - On Monday, Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) and Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) released the following statements after a court found Jia Bei Zhu, also known as David He, guilty on all 12 counts related to the illegal biolab discovered in Reedley, California. 

"The court's guilty verdict on all twelve counts marks a critical step toward addressing the serious public health and safety challenges our communities have faced,"said Congressman Costa. "The City of Reedley, its mayor, city council, and city manager deserve significant credit for bringing forth the issue of illegal labs in America and the potential serious health impacts to its citizens to light. While I am encouraged to see justice served, our work is far from over. It's important for American citizens to realize that there are foreign nationals and bad actors engaged in activities in our country that could create harm. 

That's why Congress must pass my bipartisan “Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act” to close the gaps in regulation of labs and prevent bad actors from exploiting our public health system. We must remain vigilant in protecting our communities and ensuring the safety and well-being of all Americans." 

“The Reedley Lab incident exposed serious national security and public health failures, and this guilty verdict is an important step toward accountability,” said Congressman Valadao.“While I’m encouraged to see justice served, Congress still needs to act to address the gaps in federal oversight that allowed this illegal facility to operate under the radar for so long. It’s past time to advance the bipartisan Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act so we can prevent bad actors from exploiting these failures in the future.” 

BACKGROUND 
This week, a court has found Jia Bei Zhu, also known as David He, found guilty on all 12 counts connected to the illegal biolab uncovered in Reedley, California. 

In December 2022, a local code enforcement discovered an unlicensed laboratory operating in Reedley, California, that contained hazardous pathogens, including samples of COVID-19, and unsafe storage of infectious materials. Investigations revealed the operations had ties to Chinese ownership and funding, raising alarms about foreign adversaries exploiting weaknesses in U.S. biosafety oversight.  

Current federal law regulations contain only a minted list of “select agents,” leaving many dangerous pathogens outside of federal tracking requirements. To address these vulnerabilities, U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21), David Valadao (CA-22,) and Kevin Kiley (CA-03), introduced the Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that strengthens oversight of highly pathogenic agents and high-containment laboratories to protect Americans from public health and national security threats. 

Following the discovery of a similar unauthorized biolab in a Las Vegas neighborhood in January 2026, which was raided by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI after several people fell severely ill, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) and Jim Banks (R-IN) introduced a bipartisan Senate companion to Rep. Costa’s legislation. The Las Vegas lab suspect, Jia Bei Zhu, is the same individual connected to the Reedley biolab, identified as a People's Republic of China national and a fugitive wanted in Canada. 

The legislation would help ensure federal agencies have the authority and tools necessary to identify unlawful laboratory activity, improve coordination between local and federal officials, and prevent future incidents like the Reedley and Las Vegas biolabs from occurring again.