An Imperial Valley physician has pleaded guilty to years-long use of foreign unapproved and misbranded cosmetic drugs.

According to the United States Attorney's Office in San Diego, Doctor Tien Tan Vo pleaded guilty to receipt of misbranded drugs in interstate commerce and being an accessory after the fact to an accomplice, who smuggled the unapproved drugs  into the United States from Mexico. In the plea agreement, Doctor Vo admitted that none of the injectable botulinum toxin used by his clinics between November 2016 and October 2020 was approved for use in the United States. This included Xeomeen, a botulinum toxin product, and an injectable lip filler called Probcel. Vo acknowledged that he received over $100,000 in gross receipts for almost 4 years of cosmetic services using the drugs. Vo admitted purchasing most of the drugs and devices from the operator of a "med spa" in Mexicali, who smuggled them into the U.S. without declaring them. As part of the plea agreement, Doctor Vo agreed to forfeit the receipts and pay a fine of $201,000 and to pay restitution to the victims of his offense. The maximum penalty could have included a year in prison.