A Mexican man has pleaded guilty to illegally importing Pentobarbital, a controlled substance, into the United States from Mexico. Daniel Gonzalez-Munguia, 41, of Puebla, Mexico, admitted to operating an online business that sold and distributed the drug to individuals seeking to commit suicide.
Gonzalez-Munguia, also known as “Alejandro Vasquez,” pleaded guilty to one count of importing a controlled substance, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis scheduled his sentencing for September 9, 2025.
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According to the plea agreement, Gonzalez-Munguia operated his online drug business from 2012 to 2021, selling and distributing bottles of Pentobarbital to hundreds of individuals in the U.S. and around the world. Pentobarbital, also known as Nembutal, is a controlled substance in the United States, but it is readily available in Mexico for animal euthanasia.
The investigation, led by Homeland Security Investigations, began in 2016 after a package containing the drug was intercepted in a Chicago suburb.
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Authorities in the U.S. and other countries conducted numerous well-being checks, recovering Pentobarbital from individuals who admitted to ordering the drug online from Gonzalez-Munguia with the intention of suicide. Law enforcement provided assistance to these individuals.
Gonzalez-Munguia admitted that he initially shipped the drug directly from Mexico in its original packaging but later disguised it as a cosmetic product and used intermediaries to transport it into the U.S. before shipping it to customers worldwide.
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