Texas couple sentenced in $2.4M Mexico-to-US smuggling operation

Thao Duong and her husband Lam Mai from Garland, Texas, received sentences for their operation of an online business that smuggled veterinary drugs and pesticides from Mexico to the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Duong was sentenced to three months in prison followed by two years of supervised release, with an order to forfeit over $1.5 million.

Mai was given two years of probation. The duo's operation involved cross-border smuggling, storage facilities near the U.S.-Mexico border, domestic shipping, and online sales to distribute the products throughout the country. Duong started selling animal-care products through various online platforms around 2011, primarily targeting customers involved in rooster fighting ventures.

She was not a licensed veterinarian and did not require clients to provide veterinary prescriptions. In 2017, Duong expanded her business by adding two pesticides, Taktic and Bovitraz, which were unapproved for use in the U.S. The scheme combined cross-border smuggling with online sales and nationwide parcel delivery, posing challenges for authorities once prohibited imports entered domestic distribution networks.

In 2018, Duong launched a website that became the main sales and distribution channel for the operation. She entered into agreements with co-conspirators to acquire prohibited merchandise, which entered the U.S. through the Calexico port of entry in California. From there, the goods were stored and shipped to Texas, where Duong's husband, Mai, served as shipping manager.

The pesticides presented potential environmental and public-health risks, as they contained substances like amitraz, which is toxic to bees and can expose humans when it contaminates honey, honeycomb, or beeswax.