A Garland, Tex., couple has been sentenced for operating an online business that distributed veterinary drugs and pesticides illegally imported from Mexico. Thao Duong was sentenced to three months in prison, two years of supervised release and forfeiture of more than $1.5 million. Her husband, Lam Mai, was sentenced to two years of probation. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Duong began selling animal care products online around 2011, primarily to customers involved in rooster fighting. She was not a veterinarian and did not require veterinary drug prescriptions. Products included Cipio Vet, Baytril Max, and Caterrol, which were manufactured in Mexico and not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States. In 2017, Duong added Taktic and Bovitraz pesticides, which were not registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for sale or use in the country. From 2018 to 2022, she reportedly obtained approximately $2.4 million worth of smuggled veterinary drugs and pesticides through co-conspirators who transported the products from California to Texas. Mai managed shipping and distributed the products nationwide. The EPA said Taktic and Bovitraz contain amitraz, which is toxic to bees and can contaminate honey, honeycomb and beeswax. Amitraz exposure has also been associated with neurological effects in humans and animals. “The FDA is charged with ensuring that veterinary drugs meet rigorous safety standards. When individuals smuggle and distribute misbranded and unapproved veterinary drugs, they jeopardize the health of animals,” says special agent in charge Jonathan Lamb of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, Kansas City Field Office. “We will continue to pursue and bring to justice those who distribute misbranded and unapproved animal drugs unlawfully.” The EPA and FDA investigated with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
