Leaders and officials from across Fresno County gather last month for a news conference announcing a new ordinance to inspect scientific research labs. Photo by Gabriel Dillard

Not only one of the more unusual stories for the Central Valley in 2023, but the discovery of an illegal bio-lab in Reedley with links to the Chinese government made headlines across the globe.

In April, Reedley Code enforcement officials began their investigation into a warehouse in Reedley over an illegally attached garden hose and discovered an illegal medical lab operated by Prestige Biotech Inc. of Nevada, known locally as Universal Meditech.

Investigators discovered nearly 1,000 bioengineered laboratory mice, infectious agents including E. Coli, malaria, various chemicals, medical waste, blood, tissue, serum, body fluid samples, and illegal pregnancy tests.

The mice were later euthanized.

The Midvalley Times broke the story in July, shocking local communities and spurring local and federal officials to call for further investigation and new legislation to prevent illegal labs from operating in the city and across the nation.

Rep. Jim Costa is spearheading efforts in Congress for legislation to inspect privately funded research labs.

In October federal investigators announced the arrest of Jia Bei Zhu, who goes by several names, for manufacturing and distributing medical devices in violation of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Zhu had filed a claim against Fresno County for $50 million and the city of Reedley received a $30 million claim soon after for damaged property.

Federal agents and Reedley City Manager Nicole Zieba arranged to meet Zhu at the site of the lab and present him with a check.

When Zhu arrived, he was identified by federal agents and arrested.

In November, The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party published a report on its investigation into the Reedley Biolab.

The report claims the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s handling of the bio lab was “inadequate” for the CDC’s refusal to test samples and take further steps into an investigation.

The report said that the CDC initially refused to take a phone call from city and county officials.

Zieba said that the Biden Administration is aware of this case, but there has been no contact from the White House.

In mid-December the Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved a new ordinance in response to the discovery of the lab.

The ordinance allows the county to annually inspect private research and development labs—ones that do not receive public funding that were largely exempt from inspections.

Privately funded laboratories that don’t receive public funding are not subject to city, state or federal inspections.

The ordinance was drafted in collaboration with several county and elected officials from the cities of Clovis, Firebaugh, Fowler, Kerman, Kingsburg, Mendota, Parlier, Reedley, Sanger and Selma.

With the new ordinance, cities signing onto a memorandum of industry with the county can request inspections from the county if a private laboratory is applying for a business permit with the city.

There will be a second hearing to adopt the ordinance in early January and the county will be prepared to start conducting inspections by March 2024.