Woman Admits To Prescribing Counterfeit and Smuggled Drugs

According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Carolina Aguilar Rodriguez, a 47-year-old Mexican national, entered a guilty plea for conspiring to smuggle prescription drugs into the U.S. and receiving and delivering misbranded drugs with the intent to defraud. She was known to her customers as “Doctora” even though she is not a licensed physician or pharmacist.

Rodriguez sold, dispensed and administered a wide variety of drugs from her weight loss and nutrition store in Houston. The drugs ranged from antibiotics, antivirals, erectile dysfunction drugs, birth control, hormones, painkillers, diuretics, and anti-inflammatory medications such as Diprospan, an injectable corticosteroid which testing showed was counterfeit. When she sold the prescription drugs, her clients did not receive any physician instructions. Rodriguez also did not tell customers that the prescription drugs were illegally and covertly smuggled into the U.S.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, Food and Drug Administration – Office of Criminal Investigations, and the Houston Police Department – Major Offenders Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S Attorney Julie Redlinger is prosecuting the case. Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2018. Rodriguez faces up to eight years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000.00.