A San Diego federal grand jury has indicted eight Mexican steroid manufacturers and 23 people on drug trafficking and money laundering charges. KPBS Reporter Amita Sharma has more.
Authorities say the eight indicted companies customized their anabolic steroid products for sale in the United States. Federal prosecutors say the companies were responsible for 80 percent of the anabolic steroids illegally smuggled into the United States.
Anabolic steroids are synthetic substances related to male sex hormones and they promote growth of skeletal muscle. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shane Herrigan said the companies with names like Animal Power used the Internet to market the steroids.
Herrigan: "The indictments unsealed today charge that these companies operating under the guise of veterinary medicine produced numerous anabolic steroids not for use in treating livestock or pets but for human consumption here in the United States."
Herrigan says his office is trying to get the companies to forfeit at least $15 million in illicit steroid sales proceeds. Amita Sharma, KPBS News.
