{"id":2009479,"date":"2023-08-23T14:45:05","date_gmt":"2023-08-23T18:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspected-black-market-chinese-biolab-in-california-now-subject-to-house-investigation\/"},"modified":"2023-08-23T14:47:56","modified_gmt":"2023-08-23T18:47:56","slug":"suspected-black-market-chinese-biolab-in-california-now-subject-to-house-investigation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspected-black-market-chinese-biolab-in-california-now-subject-to-house-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"House investigation launched into suspected Chinese black market biolab in California."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsuspected-black-market-chinese-biolab-in-california-now-subject-to-house-investigation%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2009479&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Investigation Launched into Suspected\u2062 Illegal California Biolab<\/h2>\n<p>Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Select \u200dSubcommittee on\u200b the Coronavirus Pandemic, is investigating a suspected illegal California \u200bbiolab that \u200bis owned by Chinese\u2064 firm Prestige Biotech\u2014to determine if it was involved in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/house-republicans-significant-circumstantial-evidence-covid-19-originated-from-wuhan-lab-leak\/\" title=\"House Republicans: \u2018Significant Circumstantial Evidence\u2019 COVID-19 Originated From Wuhan Lab Leak\">dangerous research<\/a> \u2062or\u2064 other\u2062 activities related to COVID-19 in \u2063America.<\/p>\n<p>In\u200b March, local officials first inspected the facility\u2064 located in an otherwise \u200dabandoned warehouse in Reedley, \u2062California, because they suspected it\u2063 contained &#8220;various dangerous chemicals and\/or materials in their unpermitted laboratory activities in the\u2063 locked \u2062portion\u200d of \u2062the structure that \u2063may pose\u200d serious health and safety\u200c risks.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The initial inspection found \u2062several hundred laboratory mice\u2014being kept in\u200b unsafe conditions\u2014that \u2064appeared \u2062to have \u200cbeen genetically altered to both catch and communicate the \u200ddeadly virus that has killed more than 1 million \u200dAmericans since January 2020.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related\u2062 Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/opinion\/dangerous-pathogens-found-in-unlicensed-chinese-bio-lab-in-california-5438857\">Dangerous Pathogens Found in Unlicensed Chinese Biolab\u2062 in California<\/a> (8\/3\/2023)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/capitol-report-trump-visits-east-palestine-rep-brad-wenstrup-discusses-new-covid-investigations-5076943\">Capitol\u200c Report: Trump Visits \u2063East\u2062 Palestine; Rep. Brad \u200cWenstrup Discusses New COVID Investigations<\/a> \u200d(2\/22\/2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>In April \u206323 letters to\u2064 Secretary of Health and \u200dHuman Services Xavier Becerra \u200band FBI\u200c Director Christopher Wray, Mr. \u2062Wenstrup \u200csaid he was initiating the investigation because &#8220;it is highly concerning that an unlicensed lab operated by a\u200d Chinese company on American soil was apparently \u200cconducting dangerous research involving COVID-19 and other viruses.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width:600px\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Rep. \u200cBrad Wenstrup (R-Ohio) in Washington on Aug. 12, 2022. (Drew Angerer\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mr. Wenstrup <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/2023.08.23-BRW-Letter-to-FBI-Re.-CA-Lab.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told<\/a> Mr. Wray \u200bthat his panel is\u2064 &#8220;committed to investigating the origin of COVID-19, but \u200balso assessing the federal\u200c government\u2019s ability to \u2063keep America \u200bsafe from biological\u2063 threats.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This assessment is critical to bolstering our ability to\u200d prepare for and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/yemen-lgbt-refugees-and-white-supremacy-everything-you-need-to-know-about-bidens-first-foreign-policy-speech\/\" title=\"Yemen, LGBT Refugees, And White Supremacy: Everything You Need To Know About Biden\u2019s First Foreign Policy Speech\">prevent future pandemics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Further, it is clear from court documents that \u2062the \u2064bureau is involved in this \u200dmatter. Therefore, we request documents and\u2063 communications relevant to\u200c our inquiry and in the custody and control of the bureau.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In his letter \u200dto Mr. Becerra, Mr. Wenstrup <a href=\"https:\/\/oversight.house.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/2023.08.23-BRW-Letter-to-HHS-Re.-CA-Lab-.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pointed out<\/a> that\u00a0\u201cbetween May 2 and 4, 2023, staff from the Centers for \u2062Disease Control and \u200cPrevention\u2019s (CDC) Division of\u200d Select Agents and Toxins inspected \u2064the lab and determined at least\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/chinese-funded-infectious-disease-lab-in-california-investigated-by-house\/\" title=\"House investigates Chinese-funded infectious disease lab in California.\">20 potentially infectious agents<\/a> were\u2063 stored under inadequate conditions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This included chlamydia trachomatis, E.\u200d coli, Human Immunodeficiency Virus 1 \u200cand 2 (HIV), Malaria, and Severe \u200dAcute\u200b Respiratory Syndrome \u200bCoronavirus\u2064 2 (SARS-CoV-2,\u2062 known\u200c as COVID-19).&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Wenstrup added\u2063 that an \u200bindividual claiming to be a \u2063representative of the Chinese firm had provided statements that\u2063 were founded\u2063 to be false, including that there \u200cwere no infectious agents stored at the facility.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, The Epoch Times <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/in-depth-more-details-on-black-market-biolab-surface-as-politicians-point-fingers-5459910\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">reported<\/a> that Speaker \u2062of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and Rep. Jim Acosta (D-Calif.) asked the\u00a0Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) to determine how and why Universal\u2062 Meditech, which is \u2062controlled by Prestige and\u2064 oversaw the facility,\u2063 was granted two Payment Protection Program (PPP) loans of $74,912 \u200beach in April 2020 and February 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Universal Meditech was also awarded a <a href=\"https:\/\/business.ca.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/universalmeditech.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$360,000 tax credit<\/a> in \u20622018 under California Gov. \u2063Gavin \u200bNewsom&#8217;s CalCompetes GO-Biz program, although the company failed to meet guidelines and never actually received those\u2063 funds, The Epoch Times&#8217; Brad Jones reported.<\/p>\n<p>The facility was first discovered in December 2022 when Jesalyn Harper, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/suspected-black-market-chinese-biolab-in-california-now-subject-to-house-investigation\/\" title=\"House investigation launched into suspected Chinese black market biolab in California.\">local code enforcement official<\/a>, noticed something amiss.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. Harper \u200btold The Epoch Times that she\u2064 inspected the building after\u200b receiving an \u2062anonymous\u200c complaint\u2062 about a possible business\u2064 operating in\u2063 the warehouse,\u2064 which was thought to be vacant \u2064at \u2062the \u200dtime.<\/p>\n<p>The FBI was\u200b alerted and prompted to take \u200daction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), head of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, is probing a suspected illicit California biolab owned by Chinese company Prestige Biotech. The investigation aims to uncover any involvement in risky COVID-19 research or related activities in the US. In March, local authorities initiated an inspection of the facility situated in an undisclosed location.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":173,"featured_media":2009480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2009479","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2009479","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/173"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2009479"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2009479\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2009480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2009479"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2009479"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2009479"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}