Spanish police have arrested a Venezuelan vet who allegedly implanted bags of liquid heroin inside live puppies in a plan to smuggle the narcotics into the United States. The vet is accused of having surgically implanted a kilogram of heroin into each puppy.
Venezuelan vet surgically implanted heroin in live puppies
In 2005, Colombian police raided a veterinary clinic in the capital city Medellin. Inside Andres Lopez Elorza’s clinic were three puppies each containing a surgically implanted bag of liquid heroin. Each tiny puppy contained a kilogram bag of heroin.
The veterinarian had already implanted the heroin, but he had to wait for the sutures to fully heal before the next phase of his plan. Lopez’s plan was to fly the three puppies into the United States as pets to avoid further inspection by customs authorities. However, the police raid intervened before the puppies were ready for shipping.
Immediately following the raid, Lopez fled the country. His heroin-stuffed puppies were taken into custody in hopes to safely remove the heroin and give proper care to the poorly treated animals.
Drug smuggling vet arrested in Santa Comba, Spain
According to authorities, Lopez was arrested on Saturday in Santa Comba, a town in northwestern Spain on drug smuggling charges. The disgraced veterinarian had been in hiding for a month after a Spanish court approved his extradition back to the United States where he was facing attempted drug trafficking charges from the botched drug smuggling operation.
Lopez had previously fled Colombia in 2005 and was on the run when the United States issued an international arrest warrant for the suspected drug smuggler. It was only after nearly a decade of running that he was detained in December 2013 in Lugo, Spain.
He was released in 2013 while awaiting the decision of his extradition. For two years while he awaited the court’s decision, Lopez continued his work as a veterinarian, working for two separate companies.
Drug trafficking charges awaiting the disgraced Venezuelan vet
Lopez will be extradited to the United States where he is currently facing a number of federal drug charges on the basis of attempted drug smuggling and distribution. His alleged crime is a very serious felony as heroin is a Schedule I drug. Though sentencing varies with each case, with this particular schedule of drugs and amount, Lopez may be facing a minimum mandatory sentence for 10 years imprisonment for each felony count of trafficking.
Lopez may also be facing other charges related to animal cruelty and negligence. Needless to say, he will also be stripped of his veterinarian title.
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Spain: Drug Smuggling Venezuelan Vet Implanted Heroin into Live Puppies, Arrested
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