Source: United States Attorney’s Office
A Texas couple has been sentenced for operating a website that sold smuggled, unapproved Veterinary drugs and pesticides nationwide. Thao Duong of Garland received three months in prison, two years of supervised release, and forfeited more than $1.5 million. Her husband, Lam Mai, received two years of probation.
Beginning around 2011, Duong sold animal care products, primarily to people involved in rooster fighting. She later sold Mexican Veterinary drugs not approved by the FDA and pesticides containing amitraz that were not registered with the EPA. After launching a website in 2018, Duong obtained approximately $2.4 million in merchandise smuggled from Mexico through California and shipped to Texas. Mai managed packaging and nationwide distribution.
Federal officials said improper use of amitraz can contaminate honey, honeycomb, and beeswax and potentially cause neurological and reproductive effects in humans. The EPA and FDA investigated the operation with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.