Why Purchasing Cheaper Prescription Drugs Can Get You Jailed In Mexico

America is renowned for its extremely high prices for medicinal and prescription drugs. The average cost of eligible drugs in the country is over $4,500 a month, while the same drugs can be found at almost half the price in neighboring Mexico. However, bargain hunters south of the border might end up spending some unexpected time in a Mexican jail.

Hundreds of Americans end up spending their day in jail after buying standard or non-standard prescription amounts of drugs without a Mexican doctor’s requisite. The same quest for discounted medication that led many people to buy medicine from Canada has forced southerners to turn towards Mexico. Thousands of American citizens, most of whom are senior citizens, often cross the border to get their supply of prescription drugs in places like Tijuana. They aim to save up to 75% of the cost of antidepressants, antibiotics, chemotherapy agents, and heart medication.

Is it legal?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration claims that it’s illegal for an individual to carry drugs into the country for personal use, but their website has some guidance about what can be allowed. Generally, you can bring back a 90-day prescription supply from other countries even if it might technically be violating the rules. The FDA generally doesn’t want to worry itself with people bringing back small prescriptions that only last a few months from other countries; however, you never know when they might change their mind.

However, Mexican druggists who sell drugs to Americans who don’t have prescriptions are breaking their own laws. The local police, unfortunately, tend to target customers of said illegal transactions instead of the sellers since they know they would be easier to arrest and are willing to pay high amounts in bribes to avoid going to jail.

Tijuana started facing a decline in tourism due to these reasons, causing pharmacists in the area to start a campaign where they warned visitors about the dangers of buying medicines and drugs without a doctor’s prescription. Too many Americans come into the city to take advantage of cheap drugs without any knowledge that they need a Mexican doctor’s prescription to be able to get their medicines legally and safely. The number of arrests eventually started to give the city a bad name.

Pharmacies in Mexico

Pharmacies in the area have grown to triple than the amount in San Diego, even though the population is around the same. This is due to the country’s reputation as a cost-effective alternative to U.S consumers who are cost-conscious.

Law-abiding pharmacies usually straight up refuse to sell their drugs to American customers or make sure to direct them towards a doctor’s office first. Physicians can write a prescription for around $40.

Suspicious transactions

Not all buyers are as innocent as being unaware of the laws and regulations surrounding drug purchases in the area. Many buyers get caught with obvious intentions to traffic their large quantities of drugs to make a profit back home. There have been various arrests in the past few years where people bought thousands of pills and doses of controlled substances. At that point, even the workers at the pharmacy who sold them the drugs got caught.

However, most consumers are innocent and elderly Americans who are trying to get affordable medication for their personal or family use. They tend to walk into Mexican pharmacies without any prescription or with a U.S prescription, which doesn’t count.

Suffering retirees

Older adults or retirees in the U.S tend to suffer the most when it comes to medicinal drugs. For elderly couples or individuals who live alone, a mere paycheck from Social Security benefits isn’t enough to help keep things afloat. The level of control in the USA’s drug business results in there never being any price reductions, regardless of how vital the medication might be.

The police might be willing to look the other way for little things like eye drops, but they tend to have a fierce reaction to those who buy controlled substances like Valium, Percodan, Darvon, and Ritalin, which results in an average jail time of 48 hours.

Hire a drug possession crimes attorney in Tijuana

If you unknowingly bought a large number of prescription drugs in Mexico or got accused of doing so, it’s important that you immediately contact a drug crimes attorney in Tijuana. Criminal Attorney Fabian Menesesis the founder of Meneses Legal, a law firm that aims to help people who have been charged or arrested for any kind of crime. Our knowledge and experience will help you get the best defense or alternative exist against your charge.

Our team works with drug possession, homicide crimes, cross-border crimes, sex crimes, gun crimes, and contraband and tax crimes. Our bilingual criminal defense attorneys in Tijuana can provide you with a free consultation.

Reach out to us on our website to learn more.