Authorities say refrigerators held vials with unknown liquids; one person is in custody and a second nearby home showed no threat.
LAS VEGAS, NV — A police SWAT team assisting federal agents served a warrant just before 6 a.m. Saturday at a home off East Washington Avenue and North Hollywood Boulevard and found signs of a possible biological lab, prompting hazmat teams and federal specialists to secure the scene on Sugar Springs Drive.
Officials said the discovery of possible biological material elevated the response, bringing local fire crews, public health staff and federal laboratory experts to the neighborhood at the base of Frenchman Mountain. Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill called the operation “extremely complex” and said the investigation could last hours or days. Christopher Delzotto, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Las Vegas, said additional help arrived from FBI offices and labs outside Nevada. Authorities emphasized there is no known threat to the public and described the case as an isolated incident while testing and evidence work proceeds.
According to police, the search began at 5:51 a.m. on Jan. 31 when Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department SWAT officers assisted the FBI in serving a warrant at the Sugar Springs Drive residence. Inside, investigators reported finding refrigerators with vials containing unknown liquids and other materials that required protective gear. A large law enforcement presence remained around Washington Avenue and Sugar Springs through the afternoon as teams moved equipment and sealed bags from the property. McMahill told reporters the investigation would be “slow and methodical” to ensure safety. He said one person had been taken into custody but did not release a name or describe potential charges. Delzotto said the effort was fully joint and would continue until specialists cleared the site.
Police said agents also checked a second home on Temple View Drive during the operation; no suspicious materials or threats were found there. The department’s ARMOR unit worked alongside city and county fire departments and the Southern Nevada Health District to manage recovery of items removed from the house. The Nevada National Guard’s 92nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team was notified to assist, according to officials familiar with the response. By midafternoon, officers had cordoned off several blocks and advised neighbors that crews might remain on scene for an extended period while containers were cataloged and transported for testing. Authorities did not say how many vials were recovered, what they may contain or whether any labels were present. Those details remain under review.
Residents described a quiet subdivision with steady traffic from nearby main roads. Some woke to flashing lights and an unusual number of marked and unmarked vehicles. A pile of bright, heavy-duty bags sat near the driveway as technicians cycled in and out of the home. Neighbors said officers kept them back from the immediate area but allowed people to enter and exit side streets as needed. “Sometimes things happen in places you don’t expect,” said Bob Simpson, who lives nearby and watched the response from the sidewalk. Others said they planned to monitor updates from the sheriff’s office and local TV news as crews continued work into the evening.
McMahill stressed that, while the scene appeared unusual, investigators had not identified a danger beyond the property and had set multiple layers of protection to handle unknown materials. He credited coordination among police, the FBI and fire agencies for limiting disruption. Delzotto said federal resources, including laboratory personnel from out of state, were being tapped to evaluate the vials. Officials did not answer questions about how the case began, what led to the warrant or whether similar activity had been reported elsewhere. They said information would be released as it becomes available and as testing produces verified results.
Records show the area has seen large law enforcement responses before, but Saturday’s operation drew more specialized equipment than typical warrant services. Public health officials often support such scenes to advise on handling, packaging and chain of custody when unknown substances are present. The ARMOR unit is trained for hazardous materials, radiological and chemical threats and routinely partners with federal agencies. The deployment of the Guard’s civil support team, which assists with on-scene detection and field assessments, underscored the caution crews used as they moved items out of the home and prepared them for laboratory analysis.
Officials have not identified the person detained or said what charges, if any, might follow. Evidence will be sent to accredited labs for analysis, a process that can take time depending on the type of material. Authorities said they expect to maintain a perimeter while specialists complete their sweep of the property and adjacent outbuildings, then file any necessary search inventory in court. Additional updates are expected after test results and interviews are complete. No court hearing had been announced as of late Saturday.
By Saturday night, police tape and patrol vehicles still marked the block as crews worked inside the residence. Investigators said there was no evacuation order and no injuries reported. The next update is expected after scene clearance and initial lab evaluations, which authorities said could take into Sunday or beyond.
Author note: Last updated Sunday, February 1, 2026.