Thermal couple sentenced for smuggling Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs across border
Jesus Reyes
WASHINGTON D.C. (KESQ) — A couple from Thermal was sentenced to prison for their role in a multi-million dollar scheme to traffic Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs into the United States.
“Selling illegal pesticides and veterinary drugs endangers people, animals, and the environment,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “Our office will continue to prosecute those individuals who disregard the dangerous consequences of their illegal smuggling.”
Otilio Rodriguez Toledo and Alicia Aispuro Hernandez were sentenced to five months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release.
Hernandez was sentenced to time served followed by 18 months of supervised release.
Both were ordered to jointly pay $2.19 million in forfeiture.
“The FDA regulates animal drugs as part of its mission to protect the public health, which includes ensuring that prescription animal drugs are lawfully distributed and dispensed pursuant to a valid prescription,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Wade Moon of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who distribute prescription animal drugs unlawfully.”
According to the DOJ, citing filings and evidence presented in court, since at least December 2018, Toledo and Hernandez had engaged in smuggling pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States and then distributing them in the United States.
The pesticides involved were primarily Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tetragent Aves, Metabolase, Terramicina, Cipio Vet, Baytril Max, Tylovet, Caterrol, Penicilina, and Tylosma, which are not approved by the FDA for use in the United States.
The smuggled pesticides and veterinary drugs were brought into the United States through the Calexico Port of Entry in Imperial County, California, and placed in storage units near the border. Smugglers would then send photographs of the products at the storage units as proof of delivery. These defendants would then pick up the products from the storage units and distribute them to others within the United States.
According to the EPA, the active ingredient in the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz, which is toxic to bees if released into hives, and then ultimately to humans when it ends up in honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can result in exposures that could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans from the consumption of contaminated honey. Signs of neurotoxicity from exposure to amitraz have been documented in multiple animal species and include central nervous system depression, decrease in pulse rate, and hypothermia.