Ruben Montes, 60, Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Smuggling Unapproved Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs

San Diego, CA – On February 22, 2024, Ruben Montes, of Calexico, California, was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to pay $12,710 in forfeiture for conspiring to smuggle and distribute more than $3 million worth of Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs that are not approved for use in the United States.

“Bringing in and selling pesticides and veterinary drugs illegally puts both people and the environment at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California. “These unregulated products can be harmful to animals, insects, and humans. Our office is committed to holding accountable anyone who chooses profit over public safety.”

According to filings and evidence presented in court, Montes coordinated the smuggling of pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico into the United States since 2020. The primary pesticides involved were Taktic and Bovitraz, which are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use in the United States. The smuggled veterinary drugs included Tylocet, Terramicina, Tetragent Ares and Catarrol, which are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the United States.

Montes requested that his co-conspirators bring pesticides and veterinary drugs — unavailable for purchase in the United States — from Mexico into the United States. Montes and his co-conspirators brought them into the United States without declaring them at the border. He and his co-conspirators then hid the pesticides and veterinary drugs in storage units in Calexico and retrieved them for distribution throughout the United States.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabet Brown for the Southern District of California and Assistant Section Chief Stephen Da Ponte of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section. The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Criminal Investigations Division, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, and California Department of Toxic Substances Control.

Montes is facing charges of Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 371, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $250,000 fine.

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