Stockton Beekeeper Charged with Smuggling Illegal Pesticides
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Paulo Perez-Mendoza, 44, of Stockton, charging him with conspiring to receive and sell smuggled pesticides into the United States and the unlawful distribution and sale of unregistered pesticides, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
Perez, the owner of Perez Generation Honeybee Ranch in Stockton, is accused of recruiting another individual to smuggle illegal pesticides into the United States from Mexico between January 1, 2019, and March 18, 2024. The pesticides, primarily Taktic and Bovitraz, contain the active ingredient amitraz at an emulsifiable concentration of 12.5%, which is an unregistered pesticide in the United States.
Perez purchased the Mexican pesticides 1,000 to 1,500 liters at a time and paid a total of approximately $476,680 for the banned product. He resold the pesticides to beekeepers in other states, including Oregon, Washington, Georgia, and Florida.
The indictment alleges that Perez knew the pesticides were unregistered and smuggled into the country, but he continued to sell them to other beekeepers. The EPA requires that all pesticides imported or sold in the United States be registered and bear their EPA registration number on their labels.
Perez is scheduled for arraignment on March 29, 2024. If convicted of the conspiracy charge, Perez faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. He faces a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted of the unlawful sale and distribution of pesticides.
The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Environmental Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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