House Intel chairman warns China may be setting up illicit biolabs in U.S. to seed next pandemic

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Rick Crawford, R-Ark., is warning that illicit biolabs on U.S. soil that the FBI says are linked to Chinese nationals could represent a serious national security threat, and may be an effort by Beijing to infect a "patient zero" for the next pandemic.

Speaking during an interview Friday on the Just the News Not Noise television program, Crawford pointed to labs raided by authorities in California in 2023 and Nevada a week ago, raising questions about the intent, oversight failures, and the potential risks posed by foreign actors.

One of the labs was located in a vacation rental home near Las Vegas, a major metropolitan center frequented by vacationers.

“You know, it’s a really hard problem to assess,” Crawford said. “Why would you have some illicit labs set up in an Airbnb, except for, maybe, you’re trying to create some sort of, you know, patient zero scenario, that you might infect someone, that you might create another COVID-like scenario.”

Crawford said the alleged handling of dangerous pathogens appeared careless at best, and possibly deliberate. “Why would you do it in such a slipshod way, if it wasn’t almost deliberately to try to maybe attract attention?” he asked. “Are they trying to send a message to us?”

The make shift Biolab near Las Vegas was close to what Crawford described as a “high-value” military installation. He said the proximity to both civilians and defense assets heightens his concerns.

“I have no idea what the operational use for this illicit lab was, except that it’s in close proximity to a population center,” Crawford said. “It’s also in close proximity to a military installation of high value.”

Crawford argued that the Las Vegas situation shows the broader vulnerabilities in the U.S. counterintelligence and immigration systems, warning that foreign actors, particularly from China, have taken advantage of the free and open society in the U.S.

“This requires us to double down on our CI (counterintelligence) posture, which has not evolved and kept pace with these threats that continue to evolve,” he said, adding that he is “not sure we’re fully prepared for” the challenges ahead.

The Arkansas Republican rejected the notion that the issue stems solely from border security failures under the Biden administration.

“The Chinese have been exploiting our immigration system for decades,” Crawford said. “Those family members are not severing ties with their CCP relatives.”

According to Crawford, that access has enabled land purchases and other activities that may place Chinese nationals close to sensitive U.S. assets without raising immediate red flags.

“Now as a U.S. citizen, I can go and buy property, and nobody really looks any sideways about it,” he said. “But what they’re doing is buying that land so that they can gain access to some sort of strategic asset.”

Crawford also criticized American universities for what he described as prioritizing revenue over security by admitting large numbers of Chinese students into advanced science and technology programs.

“They’re not here to study the arts or literature,” he said. “They’re here to gain hard-tech degrees: engineering, physics, biochemistry. And it’s been to our detriment.”

Crawford said university leaders have acknowledged the concern but often resist action without congressional mandates. 

“What does that tell you about how powerful money is, that institutions are more consumed with their bottom line than they are with the security of this nation?” he said.

Crawford said China’s long-term objective is clear. 

“Their stated goal is to displace the United States as the preeminent economy, the preeminent military, the preeminent political leader globally,” he said.

While acknowledging that the full intent behind the alleged biolabs such as the Las Vegas case remains unknown, Crawford said the status quo is unacceptable.

"I don't know if they were trying to create, as I suggested before, possibly a patient zero scenario where they can get out and create, potentially, an epidemic, or, you know, heaven forbid, a pandemic that makes it difficult for us to function. I don't know what her motives were, but I know that we can't continue to operate like this," he said.