A woman from Garland and her husband admitted guilt in a conspiracy to smuggle unregistered pesticides and misbranded veterinary drugs from Mexico and sell them online, federal prosecutors announced.
Thao Duong pleaded guilty to conspiring to smuggle and sell the illegal products, while her husband, Lam Mai, pleaded guilty to conspiring to sell them.
The couple ran a website distributing the items, which were brought into the U.S. from Mexico. Both are set for sentencing on June 9.
Court documents and evidence showed Duong began selling animal care products around 2011 via various online platforms, targeting customers involved in rooster fighting. As a non-veterinarian, she did not mandate veterinary prescriptions for the drugs.
Among the items were Cipio Vet, Baytril Max, and Caterrol, manufactured in Mexico and lacking FDA approval for use in the United States. In 2017, she began offering the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz, which are unregistered with the EPA and barred from legal sale here.
By 2018, Duong had established the website as her primary sales channel and had partnered with co-conspirators to acquire smuggled goods. The products entered through the Calexico Port of Entry in California were stored nearby and then forwarded to Texas.
From 2018 to 2022, Duong acquired about $2.4 million in such merchandise. Mai handled shipping, preparing packages of pesticides and drugs for nationwide delivery through the U.S. Postal Service and other carriers.
The EPA noted that amitraz, the active ingredient in Taktic and Bovitraz, poses toxicity risks to bees if introduced into hives, potentially contaminating honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Human exposure through tainted honey could lead to neurological issues and possibly reproductive effects. Animal studies have shown that amitraz causes central nervous system depression, reduced pulse rates, and hypothermia.
“Stopping transborder crime is a top priority for the Department of Justice,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “We will continue to investigate and prosecute those who flout our customs laws and endanger the health and safety of Americans.”
“No one should profit from bringing illegal chemicals into the United States and poisoning American communities,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance.
“Smuggling prohibited and misbranded products into the United States, and then selling them to unsuspecting consumers, greatly endangers public health,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Lamb of the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office.
The EPA and FDA led the probe, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Prosecution is being managed by Trial Attorney Lauren D. Steele of the Environmental Crimes Section, with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent J. Mazzurco for the Northern District of Texas.
