A San Diego man is facing federal smuggling charges after Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry allegedly found 24 liters of a banned, cancer-risk pesticide concealed inside his vehicle in August. The man, identified as 43-year-old Mexican citizen and San Diego resident Juan Velderrain Perez, reportedly asked the inspecting officer not to send him to secondary screening before agents discovered the hidden chemicals anyway.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, officers found pesticide boxes hidden under the vehicle's floor mat and six more bottles stashed in the trunk, all labeled Taktic. Velderrain Perez did not declare the chemicals at the border, according to a report from FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News, and he reportedly knew he would get in trouble if referred to secondary inspection. He is expected to have been paid a smuggling fee upon delivery, per the Justice Department, and reportedly admitted this was not the first time he had smuggled the banned pesticides across the border.
Velderrain Perez appeared in federal court in San Diego and now faces a felony charge of smuggling merchandise. He is due back in court for a preliminary hearing on September 15, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie E. Torres, according to the Justice Department.
Why Taktic Is Banned in the U.S.
The seized bottles were labeled Taktic and contained amitraz at an emulsifiable concentration of 12.5 percent, according to the DOJ. That form of amitraz has been banned in the United States since 2019, and the Environmental Protection Agency has cited its risks in imposing regulations and restrictions on the chemical's commercial use. The agency warns that handling amitraz poses neurological, reproductive, and developmental risks, along with the potential for long-term cancer risks.
The concentrated liquid version is far more dangerous than what's legally available in the U.S. The EPA does permit lower concentrations of amitraz, such as 3.33 percent, in licensed products, according to Véto-pharma. A Pennsylvania State University study cited by Véto-pharma found that Taktic concentrate is four times more toxic to adult honeybees than pure, regulated amitraz formulations at equivalent dosages, meaning misuse doesn't just violate the law — it can actively weaken the colonies it's meant to protect.
A Pattern of Border Seizures
This is not the first time authorities have intercepted large quantities of the same chemical at a San Diego-area crossing. In a separate case, authorities intercepted 24 one-liter bottles of Mexican Taktic.
Federal prosecutors in San Diego have pursued pesticide smuggling cases for years. In June 2022, prosecutors convicted Sofia Mancera Morales, the ringleader of a cross-border pesticide smuggling network, sentencing her to eight months in custody for directing couriers to bring concentrated Taktic and Bovitraz across California ports of entry, according to Times of San Diego. That case involved an organized network and later distribution. The U.S. attorney said the operation risked public health and the honeybee industry for ill-gotten profits.
UC San Diego ecological researcher James Nieh warned that concentrated amitraz posed a major risk for honeybees, the outlet reported. The outlet attributed concerns about neurological and reproductive effects from contaminated honey to Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Pierson. The outlet also discussed pesticide effects on bees.
Bigger Busts and Federal Task Force Crackdown
The scale of this kind of smuggling can run far beyond a single vehicle. In August 2025, a federal judge in San Diego sentenced a Thermal couple, according to the Justice Department. The case involved smuggling and distribution of Mexican pesticides and veterinary drugs.
The case against Velderrain Perez comes as the Justice Department's Trade Fraud Task Force, which co-led the investigation alongside the EPA, announced in July that it had surpassed $1 billion in civil and criminal recoveries and charged losses in less than one year of operation. CBP has reported issuing emergency action notifications and levying civil penalties against travelers for failing to declare prohibited agricultural and biological products at ports of entry, underscoring how frequently agriculture inspectors intercept banned chemicals and other contraband.
What Velderrain Perez Faces in Court
Velderrain Perez faces a felony charge of smuggling merchandise under 18 U.S.C. § 545, a statute that applies to knowingly introducing merchandise into the U.S. contrary to law. A conviction carries a statutory maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison, according to Lawlytics.
The account does not identify who allegedly hired Velderrain Perez to bring the pesticides across the border or where the 24 liters were ultimately headed for delivery. The hearing is scheduled for later this month.
