San Diego, CA – A couple from the Coachella Valley community of Thermal has been sentenced for smuggling illegal pesticides and veterinary drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border and distributing them across California and beyond.
Otilio Rodriguez Toledo and his wife, Alicia Aispuro Hernandez, pleaded guilty in 2023 to conspiracy to smuggle and distribute unlicensed pesticides and veterinary drugs.
Sentencing and Penalties
On Wednesday, Judge John Houston of U.S. District Court in San Diego sentenced Toledo to five months in federal prison and three years of supervised release. Hernandez, who had already served time in jail awaiting the disposition of the case, avoided prison but was ordered to serve 18 months of supervised release.
The couple was also ordered to pay $2.19 million in penalties, which will be recovered through asset forfeiture, according to Times of San Diego.
Homeland Security and Law Enforcement Collaboration
During the sentencing hearing, Shawn Gibson, Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge, emphasized the importance of customs laws in preventing illegal substances from entering the U.S. and potentially harming the environment and public health.
“The success of this investigation is directly attributed to the cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies working together to ensure uncommon illegal substances don’t make their way into our nation,” Gibson said.
Smuggling Operation Details
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, while residing in Riverside County, the couple maintained storage units near the Calexico Port of Entry in Imperial County, where they coordinated with unnamed smugglers. The smugglers would send camera phone pictures to verify that illegal products had been dropped at the storage locations. Toledo and Hernandez would then retrieve the contraband.
The illegal substances included unregulated pesticides like Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the U.S., and veterinary drugs such as Tetragent Aves, Metabolase, and Baytril Max, which are not approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).
Environmental and Health Risks
The EPA warns that the pesticides smuggled by the couple contained amitraz, which is toxic to bees. When released into hives, amitraz can contaminate honey, honeycomb, and beeswax, posing risks to both the environment and human health.
Misuse of amitraz in beehives can result in neurological and reproductive health risks for humans who consume contaminated honey.
What do you think should be done to combat illegal pesticide trafficking? Share your views in the comments.
