Gabbard Launches Probe into 120+ U.S.-Funded Biolabs

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has launched an investigation into more than 120 biological laboratories funded by the United States in over 30 countries, officials confirmed this week. The probe, spanning facilities including more than 40 in Ukraine, seeks to catalog lab locations, stored pathogens, and ongoing research amid concerns over gain-of-function experiments and inadequate oversight.

The effort follows President Donald Trump's executive order in May 2025, which banned federal funding for gain-of-function research—experiments that enhance pathogens' transmissibility or virulence—in nations lacking sufficient safeguards, such as China. Officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said initial reviews of U.S. intelligence files revealed the labs' scope, including clinical trials that have prompted ethical, financial, and security questions. Many facilities have handled hazardous and contagious pathogens, according to the office.

Gabbard directed intelligence agencies to intensify data collection on overseas labs, building on a months-long assessment of U.S.-supported sites. "The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the catastrophic global...