15,000 Viagra pills sent to Michigan address seized in Chicago

(FOX 2) - The U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported on Tuesday that officers in Chicago stopped a shipment containing more than 15,000 pills labeled as Viagra that were destined for a Michigan home.

The shipment was intercepted on Sunday and contained 15,000 tablets marked and packaged as Viagra 100mg tablets and varying brands of honey mixed with Sildenafil, the clinical name of the erectile dysfunction drug.

If the pills were real and had they been approved by the FDA, they would have been worth about $1,065,000

According to the CBP, the pills violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA), which prohibits the introduction of any medicine, food, tobacco, or cosmetic that is misbranded or changed in some way.

The pills, which officials said were misbranded, were seized and turned over to the  FDA Office of Criminal Investigation for further investigation.

“Our Officers are dedicated to identifying and intercepting these types of shipments that could potentially harm our communities,” said Shane Campbell, Port Director-Chicago. “Consumers do not realize the risk they are taking when using prescription drugs from other countries. These non-regulated drugs could cause health concerns or even death."

Counterfeit prescriptions may be made using the wrong or harmful ingredients.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized 15,000 pills labeled as Viagra in Chicago on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020.