A man has pleaded guilty in a federal court to importing the drug Pentobarbital into the United States from Mexico for use in suicides. Daniel Gonzalez-Munguia, also known as "Alejandro Vasquez," 41, from Puebla, Mexico, admitted to one count of importing a controlled substance into the country. This charge carries a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis has scheduled his sentencing for September 9, 2025.
Pentobarbital is commonly used in Mexico for euthanizing animals and is classified as a controlled substance in the United States, where it has been utilized in state executions. Gonzalez-Munguia acknowledged operating an online drug business between 2012 and 2021 that distributed bottles of Pentobarbital to hundreds of customers globally, including those in Illinois. According to the plea agreement, many buyers consumed the drug and died.
The investigation began in 2016 when Homeland Security Investigations intercepted a parcel containing Pentobarbital in a Chicago suburb. Authorities conducted well-being checks on several individuals who had ordered the suicide drug online from Gonzalez-Munguia and recovered the substance from them while providing assistance.
Initially, Gonzalez-Munguia shipped bottles directly from Mexico using manufacturer packaging but later disguised them as cosmetic products and employed intermediaries to transport them into the U.S., then shipping worldwide.
The guilty plea was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Daniel Johnsen, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations' Chicago office; and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service's Chicago Division. Assistance came from multiple agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and international law enforcement partners across Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik K. Raman is handling prosecution duties.
