CDC Ignored Illegal Biolab Containing Dangerous Pathogens Tied to Chinese Fugitive

By Megan Redshaw

Roughly 200,000 attendees this past weekend at the 2024 Comic-Con convention in San Diego, California, found themselves amid a real-life drama that rivaled the fantasy worlds they came to celebrate. 

Amid the cosplay, panels, and exclusive previews, a shocking revelation came to light: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had ignored a dangerous illegal biolab tied to a Chinese fugitive in their own backyard. 

The biolab, located across the street from a residential neighborhood in Reedley, California, contained hazardous wastes, biological materials, illegal drugs, a thousand transgenic mice, and some of the world’s most dangerous pathogens, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

A team from Reform Pharma passed out more than 10,000 comic books as attendees entered the venue over the three-day event. The comic, “The Known Unknown,” is an original 16-page full-color comic book based on the true story of the CDC’s gross mishandling of the illegal lab.

“When the Illegal biolab in Reedley, California came to our attention months ago, our team at Reform Pharma decided to conduct our own investigation regarding the CDC’s failure to take such a potential public health threat seriously,” said Justine Tanguay, attorney and director of campaign and research for Reform Pharma.

“Comic-Con attracts people from all over, including California, so we thought the event would be ideal for sharing the story and engaging in conversation to bring an awareness that an incident like this could happen anywhere.”

Joshua Coleman, the cofounder of V is for Vaccine, helped organize the event. In an interview on CHD Good Morning with Mary Holland, attorney and chief executive officer of Children’s Health Defense, Coleman said creating a full-length comic book seemed like the perfect idea.

“I think [in] a lot of stories, you might not need to see the images; you might have just a lot of talking heads, but it was really important to show the lab, and to see the things inside and to see the progression of the story through visual storytelling,” Coleman said. 

Coleman, who has engaged in numerous public demonstrations over the years, told Holland the response Reform Pharma received at Comi-Con was unparalleled. 

“Publicly demonstrating, you don’t ever get 10,000 pamphlets or flyers into hands. Never. You’re lucky to get a couple hundred flyers into hands. So this is really unprecedented,” Coleman said. 

Backstory: Local Code Enforcement Officer Discovers Illegal Biolab 

The CDC’s incompetence doesn’t start and stop with the COVID-19 pandemic. The controversy surrounding the illegal biolab in Reedley is nothing short of alarming and showcases yet another incidence of CDC failure. 

In congressional hearings over the past year, significant concerns have been raised regarding the CDC's response to the discovery of the Reedley biolab. This biolab, tied to a Chinese fugitive, housed thousands of biological samples, including dangerous pathogens like HIV, malaria, and even a freezer labeled "Ebola." 

According to the CDC itself, ebola is caused by the orthoebolavirus, primarily found in sub-Saharan Africa. It can cause severe and often deadly disease, with a mortality rate as high as 80 to 90 percent. 

According to a report by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, Jesalyn Harper, in December 2022, noticed a green garden hose extending from a warehouse in Reedley, California, known to have been vacant for decades. Harper, a code enforcement officer, knew that the hose violated the building code and sought entry into the building.

“I had received a complaint about a fairly large warehouse in Reedley being utilized without a business license, so when I went on-site to do the inspection, I actually found more than just an unpermitted business,” Harper told Holland during CHD Good Morning. 

“We found a green garden hose that was drilled through the back side of the building into the warehouse, and since this is considered a plumbing code violation it did give me the ability to request an inspection and enter the building.”

Upon entering, Officer Harper observed laboratory equipment, manufacturing devices, and medical-grade freezers. She encountered several individuals, identifying themselves as Chinese nationalists, dressed in white lab coats, glasses, masks, and latex gloves, and observed freezers and containment units with glass doors, revealing thousands of vials of biological substances. Many of these vials were unlabeled, while others were labeled in Mandarin or coded in some manner. 

Harper and local officials referred the matter to their local Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and stepped back so the agency could investigate. Two months later, the FBI told her they were ending their investigation because there were no weapons of mass destruction on the property. 

In March 2023, local officials executed an inspection warrant and re-entered the Reedley Biolab where they “observed blood, tissue and other bodily fluid samples and serums; and thousands of vials of unlabeled fluids and suspected biological material,” ultra low temperature freezers used to store infectious agents, medical cabinets filled with highly flammable, explosive, and corrosive chemicals, narcotics, laboratory equipment, hundreds of boxes containing faulty medical devices subject to an FDA health embargo, drugs such as methamphetamine, and transgenic mice. 

A transgenic mouse has DNA from another source inserted into its genome. These mice are bred to stimulate the human immune system for laboratory experimentation.

When questioned about the mice, a worker told local officials they were transgenic mice that simulate the human immune system and were genetically engineered to catch and carry the COVID-19 virus.

CDC Ignores Pleas For Help 

Local officials knew they were likely dealing with something serious and begged the CDC for help. The CDC responded by ignoring their requests and repeatedly hung up mid-conversation with local officials. 

The CDC is responsible for investigating and handling biological materials that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety, to animal and plant health, or to animal or plant products. 

According to its website, the CDC ensures that “potentially risky biological materials are handled safely and securely” and that “research with select agents and toxins is done in labs that are registered with the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP).”

This program is jointly managed by the CDC’s Division of Regulatory Science and Compliance (DRSC) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s Division of Agricultural Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT).

DSAT regulates the possession, use, and transfer of select agents and toxins that could pose a severe threat to public health and safety. When an illegal biolab is reported, especially one containing dangerous pathogens, the CDC is expected to assess the situation, identify the pathogens, and ensure appropriate containment and remediation measures are taken to protect public health.

In this instance, the CDC repeatedly refused to speak with local officials or acknowledge the situation, leaving them to deal with potentially dangerous pathogens and biological products that could spark the very pandemic the agency claims it’s dedicated to preventing. 

Only when Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.) intervened did the CDC respond to requests by the state of California and local officials.

In May 2023—five months after Harper first discovered the biolab, the CDC finally showed up on the scene to do their “investigation”—if it can be called that. The agency found at least 20 potentially infectious agents based on labeled vials, such as HIV, Tuberculosis, and the deadliest known form of Malaria.

Here’s a short list of pathogens identified by the CDC based on the labeling: 

According to the report, the CDC’s response was baffling. Not only did it take the agency months to investigate the lab, they spent only two days performing their investigation. Moreover, the CDC didn’t test any of the vials, including a vial labeled “SARS-CoV-2,” which is supposedly responsible for almost 2 million U.S. deaths. The CDC refused even when local officials said they would pay for testing.

The CDC also never suggested that any other federal agency intervene to conduct an investigation or perform further testing. Ultimately, local officials had to dispose of approximately 103.73 tons of general waste and 448 gallons of medical and biological waste.

The CDC essentially pretended that it found no evidence of materials that have the potential use in biological terrorism or warfare, despite never testing the vials and the fact that freezers were labeled with agents that could be used for biological warfare. 

Harper said she knew she needed to help when she discovered the lab. 

“Until people stand up like Jesalyn did, we might not ever know these things—and that’s one of the big things we are doing at Reform Pharma. We are encouraging people to be bold and stand up,” Amy Miller, marketing director at Reform Pharma, told Holland during CHD Good Morning. “We want reform. We want a better place to live.” 

Tanguay said the CDC, in a recent congressional subcommittee hearing, said it wants to restore public trust but continues to promote Big Pharma’s narrative. 

“Our job at Reform Pharma is to expose the corruption, and we are sharing this story because the CDC failed to protect the American people. And this is not an isolated incident. This potentially dangerous situation could literally happen anywhere on US soil,” she added.

“The American people have a right to know why the CDC failed to conduct a proper investigation. The people's voice is powerful, and we must demand better from our public health agencies.”

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