A Garland couple who operated a website selling veterinary drugs and pesticides smuggled from Mexico have been sentenced in federal court, with one defendant receiving prison time and more than $1.5 million in forfeiture.
Thao Duong was sentenced September 8 to three months in prison, two years of supervised release, and forfeiture of more than $1.5 million. Her husband, Lam Mai, received two years of probation, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The sentences follow the couple’s January 20 guilty pleas to conspiracy charges. Duong pleaded guilty to conspiracy under federal law, while Mai pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate federal veterinary drug and pesticide laws, according to the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Bulletin.
How the Smuggling Operation Worked
According to court filings and evidence presented in court, Duong began selling animal-care products through online platforms around 2011. Her customers were primarily people involved in rooster-fighting ventures.
Duong was not a veterinarian and did not require veterinary prescriptions from customers purchasing veterinary drugs. She sold products including Cipio Vet, Baytril Max, and Caterrol, which were manufactured in Mexico and were not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States.
In 2017, she added the pesticides Taktic and Bovitraz to her inventory. Neither product was registered with the Environmental Protection Agency for sale or use in the United States, according to the federal sentencing announcement.
Duong launched a website in 2018 that became her primary sales and distribution channel. She then entered into agreements with co-conspirators to purchase products she knew had been smuggled into the country from Mexico.
The merchandise entered through the Calexico Port of Entry in Imperial County, California, and was stored near the border before being shipped to Texas. Between 2018 and 2022, Duong obtained approximately $2.4 million worth of smuggled merchandise.
Mai worked as the website’s shipping manager, packaging orders and distributing products to customers nationwide through the U.S. Postal Service and other shipping companies.
Pesticides Could Pose Risks to Bees and Humans
Federal officials said the unregistered pesticides presented potential environmental and public-health risks, particularly if misused in beehives.
The active ingredient in Taktic and Bovitraz is amitraz. According to the EPA, misuse of amitraz-containing products in beehives can contaminate honey, honeycomb, and beeswax. Exposure through contaminated honey could cause neurological effects and possibly reproductive effects in humans.
Animal studies have documented signs of amitraz neurotoxicity, including central nervous system depression, decreased pulse rate, and hypothermia.
The Justice Department’s announcement did not identify a confirmed case of human poisoning or a specific incident of contaminated honey connected to the defendants’ products.
“The defendants in this case traded human safety and environmental health for illicit profit,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Energy and Natural Resources Division.
Federal Agencies Investigated the North Texas Case
The EPA and FDA investigated the operation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
U.S. Attorney Ryan R. Raybould for the Northern District of Texas said the defendants introduced dangerous foreign-sourced pesticides and drugs into the country, recklessly putting communities at risk.
The Justice Department also identified the prosecution as part of its broader Trade Fraud Task Force effort, which targets prohibited imports, customs violations, and other trade-related fraud.
Provided by Dallas Express
