Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has launched a comprehensive investigation into more than 120 biological laboratories abroad that have received US taxpayer funding for decades. The probe, announced Monday, represents a significant shift in how America’s intelligence apparatus approaches oversight of international biological research facilities.

Scope of the Investigation

According to Gabbard’s statement to the New York Post, her team will “identify where these labs are, what pathogens they contain and what ‘research’ is being conducted to end dangerous gain-of-function research that threatens the health and wellbeing of the American people and the world.”

The investigation encompasses facilities across more than 30 countries, with over 40 laboratories located in Ukraine alone. Office of the Director of National Intelligence officials confirmed that several facilities previously received funding through Department of Defense programs established after the Cold War to dispose of weapons of mass destruction.

Ukraine Labs at Center of Controversy

The Ukrainian facilities have become particularly contentious, with ODNI officials noting they “could be at risk of compromise” due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. The Pentagon’s Cooperative Threat Reduction Program has historically supported biological research in Ukraine through its Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

The Biden administration previously denied operating “chemical or biological laboratories in Ukraine,” dismissing such claims as propaganda in a March 2022 statement. However, Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland acknowledged the existence of “biological research facilities” in Ukraine during congressional testimony that same month.

Administrative Contradictions

Gabbard directly criticized previous administration officials, stating: “Politicians, so-called health professionals, like Dr. Fauci, and entities within the Biden administration’s national security team lied to the American people about the existence of these US-funded and supported biolabs and threatened those who attempted to expose the truth.”

Gain-of-Function Research Under Scrutiny

The investigation follows President Trump’s executive order restricting federal funding for gain-of-function research—studies examining how viruses replicate and interact with human cells to increase transmissibility. Gabbard emphasized the COVID-19 pandemic’s role in highlighting potential risks from such research.

“The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the catastrophic global impact research on dangerous pathogens in biolabs can have,” Gabbard explained. The intelligence review will examine both gain-of-function experiments and defensive research against dangerous pathogens.

Oversight Concerns

Critics have long argued that inadequate oversight of research funding prevents Americans from understanding the nature of experiments being conducted. The funding often flows through multiple agencies to grantees and subawardees, creating layers of bureaucratic distance from direct accountability.

ODNI officials noted that clinical trials currently conducted at these facilities are “raising significant, ethical, financial and security concerns.”

International Implications

Russia has consistently raised concerns about Pentagon-backed biological laboratories, particularly those near its borders, alleging involvement in bioweapons research. Moscow has cited documents allegedly obtained from Kiev to support claims about Western-backed biolabs tied to weapons research.

The US has maintained that its support for biological research facilities aims at preventing disease outbreaks and developing vaccines rather than military applications. However, Russia and China have repeatedly warned about potential military dimensions of this research.

Defense Department Programs

Much of the overseas biological research falls under the Defense Department’s Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, originally designed to study pathogens for preventing future outbreaks and enhancing US biosecurity. The program represents a continuation of post-Cold War efforts to address weapons of mass destruction threats.

Intelligence Community Response

Under Gabbard’s new guidance, the US Intelligence Community will conduct comprehensive reviews of research at all US-funded biological laboratories. This represents an unprecedented level of intelligence oversight of international biological research programs.

The investigation marks a significant departure from previous approaches to biological research oversight, potentially reshaping how the United States manages its extensive network of international laboratory partnerships.

As the probe unfolds, it will likely provide the most detailed accounting to date of America’s biological research footprint abroad, addressing longstanding questions about transparency and accountability in these sensitive programs.

This article draws on reporting from New York Post and RT.