Smuggling and Biolabs: The Growing Threat to America’s Biodefense From Within Our Borders

Throughout American history, the overwhelming majority of bioterrorism threats have been local, domestic threats from non-state actors. Notable events including the 2001 Amerithrax anthrax letter attacks¹, the 1972 R.I.S.E. attempt to poison Chicago’s water supply with typhoid bacteria², the Animal Liberation Front sending AIDS-contaminated razor blades in the mail in 2010³, and even a Confederate plot to spread yellow fever among northern cities during the Civil War⁴, all ultimately came from insider threats working from within the United States. In 1984, the most devastating bioterrorism attack in American history occurred, when the Rajneeshee cult used a secretive biolab – built from products and materials that were legally purchased on the commercial market – to successfully poison hundreds of Oregonian citizens with Salmonella.⁵, ⁶ While multiple states have undoubtedly pursued massive biological weapons programs⁷, it should be noted that there have been no confirmed uses of foreign biological agents within the United States. 

However, that does not mean that the threat is not real. In recent months, the People’s Republic of China has demonstrated an alarming interest in smuggling biological agents into the United States. Most concerning of all, several of these attempts have been tied to secretive CCP-linked biolabs located within American borders. 

In June 2025, two Chinese nationals were arrested after they were found to be smuggling Fusarium graminearum into the United States. This fungus poses a significant threat to agriculture and could potentially be used as a biological weapon. Although the accused parties claimed they were smuggling in the fungus to study at the University of Michigan, they were both directly tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).⁸ That same month, another citizen of the PRC tied to the Huazhong University of Science and Technology in Wuhan was arrested after attempting to smuggle multiple packages containing “concealed biological material” to the University of Michigan. The packages were ultimately found to contain roundworms.⁹ Further charges followed for another three Chinese nationals accused of attempting to smuggle in biological material in October 2025.¹⁰ The Attorney General described the multiple charges as a “long and alarming pattern of criminal activities committed by Chinese Nationals under the cover of the University of Michigan.”¹⁰ While it is difficult to determine if the motive for this smuggling was malicious or simply due to poor conformity with proper handling and transportation of biological materials, this repeated pattern is concerning.  

The increasing number of secretive CCP-associated biolabs within America’s borders is also cause for concern. In February 2026, authorities investigated a Las Vegas home and found an unsanctioned biolab, filled with equipment that included a centrifuge, multiple refrigerators, gallon-size containers filled with “unknown liquids” and over 1,000 other pieces of evidence.¹¹ The property in question had also been used as an Airbnb, with several individuals reporting that they had become “deathly ill” during their time there.¹² The owner was a Chinese national with extensive ties to the CCP who had been arrested for a similar illegal biolab in Reedley, California in 2023.  

The Reedley lab had been even more impressive, filling an entire warehouse and including approximately 1,000 mice used for animal research.¹¹ The Reedley lab also included containers with labels such as “Ebola”, “dengue fever”, “HIV”, and “malaria.”¹² While the CDC refused to test the samples, a CDC inspection of the Reedley biolab determined that the labels on the material corresponded to at least 20 highly infectious bacterial and viral agents.¹³ The source of many of the pathogens remained unknown, although officials theorized some of them may have originated in Nigeria and Canada.¹³ Much of the medical equipment, while far below safety standards, had also been purchased from commercial sources.¹³ Ultimately, local authorities had to destroy over 448 gallons of untested medical and biological waste from the Reedley site.¹³ 

A Congressional investigation into the Reedley biolab ultimately determined that the full public health risks posed by the lab – due to the refusal of the CDC to test the material and its subsequent destruction – was impossible to determine. However, the biolab posed a “substantial risk to the community”, particularly if the labeled pathogens were to be accepted at face value, especially with the poor standard of care displayed in the warehouse.¹³ The report also noted that “a disturbing realization is that no one [emphasis original] knows whether there are other unknown biolabs in the United States because there is no monitoring system in place.”¹³ The Reedley report ominously concluded that the “profound threat” from unlicensed and secretive biolabs within the United States revealed a significant gap in the nation’s defenses.¹³  

The fact that, less than two years later, another unsanctioned biolab associated with the very same individual has been found within the borders of the United States should be significant cause for concern – especially since there are already reports of multiple unaffiliated individuals becoming sick from this illegal biolab.¹² The pattern of illegal smuggling and secretive biolabs shown in this article is highly concerning. All previous bioterrorism incidents in America have come from domestic sources – but dangerous biological material from foreign nations is now present within our borders. The old patterns of bioterrorism attacks may differ vastly in the future. 

There are a number of policies that could be pursued in the future to minimize the risks from such attacks. Time and time again, bioterrorism within the United States has relied upon commercially purchased pathogens and equipment, as seen with the Rajneeshees5 and the Reedley biolab.¹³ As the Reedley congressional report recommended, policies to make obtaining such equipment more difficult – even with a policy as simple as presenting a valid photo ID, similar to limitations for purchasing bulk fertilizer and dangerous chemicals – could allow for rapid identification of dangerous individuals.¹³   

The CDC’s refusal to adequately investigate the biolab, despite multiple requests from local authorities, should also be addressed.¹³ Biodefense, like any other aspect of counterterrorism, requires vigorous, aggressive, and energetic proactive measures. The identification of the freezer labeled “Ebola” alone should have been a cause for concern. If foreign agents continue to establish illegal biolabs within America’s borders, our biodefense must be more proactive. 

References 

1. Pita R, Gunaratna R. Anthrax as a biological weapon: from World War I to the Amerithrax investigation. International journal of intelligence and counterintelligence. 2010;23(1):61-103.
2. Carus WS. R.I.S.E. (1972). In: Tucker JB, editor. Toxic Terror: Assessing Terrorist Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons. Cambridge, England: M.I.T. Press; 2000.
3. Martinez M. Activist group claims to send AIDS-tainted razors to animal researcher. CNN [Internet]. 24 Sept 2010. Available from:https://www.cnn.com/2010/US/11/24/california.ucla.threat/index.html.
4. Greene HL. The Confederate Yellow Fever Conspiracy: The Germ Warfare Plot of Luke Pryor Blackburn, 1864-1865: McFarland; 2019.
5. King R. Rajneeshpuram: Inside the cult of Bhagwan and its failed American utopia: Chicago Review Press; 2022.
6. Crowe K. Salad Bar Salmonella. Forensic Examiner. 2007;16(2).
7. Leitenberg M. Biological weapons in the twentieth century: a review and analysis. Critical reviews in microbiology. 2001;27(4):267-320.
8. Chinese Nationals Charged with Conspiracy and Smuggling a Dangerous Biological Pathogen into the U.S. for their Work at a University of Michigan Laboratory [press release]. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Michigan June 3 2025.
9. Alien from Wuhan, China, Charged with Making False Statements and Smuggling Biological Materials into the U.S. for Her Work at a University of Michigan Laboratory [press release]. U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of MichiganJune 9, 2025.
10. Three Chinese National Scholars from University of Michigan Laboratory Charged for Conspiring to Smuggle Biological Materials into the U.S. [press release]. Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Department of JusticeNovember 5, 2025.
11. Rumpf-Whitten S. Chinese-linked biolab discovered in Las Vegas home sparks federal investigation with SWAT response. Fox News [Internet]. Feb 3, 2026. Available from:https://www.foxnews.com/us/chinese-linked-biolab-discovered-las-vegas-home-sparks-federal-investigation-swat-response.
12. Fields A. What to know about suspected biolab in Las Vegas. The Hill [Internet]. Feb 4 2026. Available from:https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5722839-hazardous-waste-seized-vegas/). .
13. Party TSCotCC. Investigation into the Reedley Biolab. In: Congress US, editor. Nov 15 2023.