San Diego, California – A federal judge has sentenced a Southern California man to prison for his role in a multimillion-dollar pesticide smuggling operation that prosecutors say endangered public health, agriculture, and the environment across the United States.
Ruben Montes, a resident of Calexico, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for conspiring to smuggle and distribute more than $3 million worth of unregulated pesticides and veterinary drugs from Mexico. According to federal prosecutors, the products — including Taktic and Bovitraz — contain the active ingredient amitraz, a substance not approved for use by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) due to its toxicity to pollinators and potential health risks to humans.
“This disregard of the regulations and laws in favor of personal profit is not acceptable,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabet Brown. “And the disregard of the environment — of humans, of animals and insects — in favor of personal gain is also not tolerable.”…