BROWNSVILLE, Texas — Federal authorities arrested a man accused of buying more than $112,000 in counterfeit erectile dysfunction pills from India and selling them through social media groups in South Texas.

The case began last year when agents with Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S Postal Service began an investigation into the illegal importation of counterfeit pills from India into Brownsville, court documents obtained by Breitbart Texas revealed.

Rene Soriano is accused of selling thousands of erectile dysfunction pills through Facebook groups like La Pulga Online and on others where he would advertise “generic Viagra and Cialis” and provide a phone number to text him. According to HSI agents, Soriano would purchase the pills from Chinmay Overseas in India. The company was the target of various seizures for counterfeit pills in 2017.

Authorities tracked down the addresses where Soriano would allegedly receive the pills and also followed up on the social media profiles that he would use to sell them. An undercover agent contacted Soriano asking for ED pills and Soriano reportedly told him that he would give the undercover agent a better price if he bought in bulk. The agent purchased the pills and had them shipped. Soriano also allegedly claimed that he would sell some pills in Mexico as well.

After his arrest, Soriano went before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ignacio Torteya, who read him the charges against him and ordered that he be held without bond. Soriano asked for a court-appointed attorney.

Underground ED Pills in South Texas by ildefonso ortiz on Scribd

Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and Stephen K. Bannon. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.

Brandon Darby is managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded the Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and Stephen K. Bannon. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.