SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A federal judge has sentenced a Southern California man for smuggling millions of dollars worth of illegal pesticides into the United States, posing what prosecutors call a major health risk.
Ruben Montes of Calexico conspired to smuggle and distribute more than $3 million worth of Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs into the U.S. that were not approved for use in the country, according to federal prosecutors.
"This disregard of the regulations and laws in favor of personal profit is not acceptable, and the disregard of the environment of humans, of animals and insects in favor of personal gain is also not tolerable," said Assistant United States Attorney Elizabet Brown.
Montes was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison.
Brown said the case goes back several years with allegations against Montes dating back to 2020, when he was accused of smuggling Mexican veterinary drugs to a customer in Texas.
"Mr. Montes' involvement is about $1 to $2.1 million, but it's a larger conspiracy that spans multiple people, multiple cases that are still pending in this court as well," Brown said.
The smuggling of illegal pesticides dates back decades.
In 2019, several local, state and federal agencies formed the Border Pesticide Initiative group, which resulted in the prosecution of 50 defendants for environmental crimes and the seizure of hundreds of containers of illegal Mexican pesticides.
The San Diego City Attorney's Office confirmed the group is still active.
"These pesticides are not regulated just for the fun of it. They're regulated because studies have been done to show that they are harmful," Brown said.
She explained how the illicit substances brought into the U.S. can be dangerous.
"In this case, amitraz which is the active ingredient in Bovitraz and Taktic—two of the pesticides smuggled—is dangerous. It can be harmful to bees,” Brown said. “If bees consume it, it can lead to increased mortality rates and other problems, and this trickles down to humans. When humans consume the honey that those bees have created, it can lead to neurotoxicity issues. It's a potential carcinogenic.”
When asked about the message from the U.S. Attorney's office regarding these types of cases, Brown responded, "I think the message would be that this type of disregard for the laws and for the environment will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted."
The Environmental Protection Agency said there has been a shift in recent years in how pesticides are smuggled into the country. A spokesperson said most illegal pesticides brought into the U.S. or marijuana cultivation are now coming through seaports rather than land crossings, so the agency has had to shift their enforcement focus.
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