I’ve said for a couple years now that we’re living through something bigger than a single war in a single place. Call it a world war, call it a multi-front conflict, call it the beginning stages of a new global order collapsing and reforming—whatever label you prefer, the point is this:

What happens in one theater affects the others, and the people pretending these conflicts are isolated are either naïve or lying.

Northeast Syria: the quiet tension under the surface

Yesterday we pushed as far northeast as you can go inside Syria—close enough to see the tri-border area where Iraq, Iran, and Turkey squeeze together. We drove right along the Turkish border wall. We passed an American base that is still functional, and we watched a U.S. convoy roll by—MRAPs, American flags, escorting tankers and cargo trucks that looked like a resupply run.

So yes: there are still U.S. troops here, and they’re positioned where the oil infrastructure is. This matters, because it tells you what Washington is willing to hold onto even when it publicly pretends it’s “done” with Syria.

This whole region is still considered Kurdish-held territory. And even as Kurdish authorities try to manage the political reality of new forces pushing in—playing “friendly,” flashing peace signs, trying to keep the temperature down—the underlying truth hasn’t changed:

The Kurds haven’t abandoned the dream of a state.

There are still voices calling for Rojava—everything east of the Euphrates—to be declared sovereign. That probably isn’t going anywhere diplomatically, but it tells you the story here isn’t “resolved.” It’s paused. And pauses in this part of the world are usually just the breath you take before the next sprint.

Derek, displaced families, and the kind of “aid” that lasts longer than food

We also went to the town of Derek, in the far northeast corner—right on the Turkish border. Our Free Burma Rangers team was there to run a Good Life Club and do food distribution for internally displaced families living in a school.

With deep sorrow, we share that precious Lia Brits, at the tender age of 9 years old,

has passed away after her courageous battle with cystic fibrosis.

Because of your extraordinary generosity, and despite many unforeseen obstacles,

Lia was able to receive the stem cells. However, just before her therapy began, she

contracted an unexpected and aggressive infection. This complication caused a delay

in treatment and led to a rapid and devastating decline.

Lia was receiving care in a severely under-resourced hospital environment, where

critical limitations made an already fragile situation even more difficult. Despite every

effort made, circumstances beyond our control unfolded, and three days ago she went

home to the Lord.

Your donations made a profound and tangible difference during this unimaginably

difficult season. They provided critical resources and brought relief and necessary

support to Lia’s family. The Brits family is deeply grateful for your compassion,

generosity, and faithful prayers.

Our hearts are broken, yet we trust the Lord who now holds Lia in His care. Please

continue to pray for her family in this time of deep grief.

“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

I’m coming to you from northeastern Syria—out here in a town called Kamishi—where the last couple of days have been… eventful. The kind of “eventful” you feel in your chest before you can put it into words. There are things shifting on the ground, and when you’re standing in the middle of it, you can tell when the air changes.

But the truth is, what I’m watching overseas isn’t the biggest immediate threat to Americans right now.

The bigger story is back home—quiet, underreported, and sitting right inside the United States: illegal biolabs being discovered in residential neighborhoods, linked again and again to Chinese nationals and networks tied back—directly or indirectly—to the PRC.

If you’ve missed the headlines (or noticed how quickly they disappeared), you’re not alone. That’s exactly the problem.

“Biolab” shouldn’t be a scary word… until it is

Let’s lower the temperature for a second, because “biolab” has become a loaded term. A “biolab” can be a veterinary clinic lab. It can be a hospital lab. It can be a university lab doing legitimate work.

But here’s where it becomes a serious problem:

When authorities find unlicensed, clandestine labs in houses or warehouses—stocked with unlabeled vials, unknown agents, and unsafe storage—then we are no longer talking about normal science. We’re talking about a public safety threat.

And when those operations keep showing ties to PRC-linked individuals and funding streams, we’re talking about something bigger than “some guy doing weird experiments in his garage.”

The Las Vegas bust: what we know so far

The newest case—just days ago—was in the Las Vegas area. A SWAT team and the FBI executed search warrants after reports of a possible biological laboratory. Investigators found refrigerators containing vials of unknown liquids, unmarked and unidentified, and hazmat teams were brought in. At least one person on scene was detained, apparently a caretaker, and investigators traced links to an LLC associated with a Chinese national using an alias.

Here’s the key point:

Even before we know exactly what’s in those vials, we already know this is serious—because unlabeled biological materials in a residential setting force responders into a worst-case posture. Testing becomes slower, more dangerous, and more complicated, because you can’t assume anything.

And Las Vegas isn’t isolated.

Smuggling biological materials into U.S. research ecosystems

When you back up and look over the last couple of years, the same themes repeat:

• Biological materials brought in illegally

• False statements to Customs and Border Protection

• Shipments concealed to evade inspection

• Connections to PRC institutions, or individuals with CCP/PLA ties

• Work funneling toward U.S. lab capacity—because our labs are often more advanced

Some of the cases discussed involve smuggling parasite samples (including roundworm-related materials) and a dangerous crop fungus. Even if you strip away speculation, one fact remains:

Smuggling biological agents into the United States is not a paperwork mistake. It’s a red-flag behavior.

And the agricultural angle matters more than most people realize. If someone wanted to cause chaos and suffering without firing a single shot, they wouldn’t start with tanks. They’d start with food supply disruption—crops, livestock, transport, processing.

That’s not sensationalism. That’s simply understanding how fragile modern systems can be when a single link breaks.

Reedley, California: the case that should have changed everything

The most chilling example brought up in the discussion is the earlier discovery of an unlicensed lab in Reedley, California—uncovered in late 2022 and publicly discussed later as investigators tested and expanded the case.

What was found there was the kind of thing that should make every American ask: How did this exist on U.S. soil at all?

Reports discussed:

• Large numbers of unmarked vials

• A range of pathogens identified in testing

• Hazardous chemicals improperly stored

• Medical waste

• Improvised, unsafe lab conditions

• A significant number of genetically altered mice used for research purposes

Whether the operation was profit-driven, espionage-driven, or both, you don’t end up with that kind of setup by accident.