Didn't he stop operating years ago? Why's he only getting arrested recently?
Daniel Gonzalez-Munguia, also known as "Alejandro Vasquez," is Faces Trial in the U.S. for Facilitating the Suicides of Over 70 People: Here's How He Operated
Daniel González allegedly aided around 70 individuals from countries like the United States, Spain, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, South Korea, and the United Kingdom in taking their lives. He coordinated his operations from Puebla, Mexico.
The Operation
González set up an organized operation. He didn't try to hide and even created a guide titled "How to Commit Suicide," which included his contact email and a PayPal account for payments sent to Puebla.
According to an investigation by the Illinois Court, González allegedly supplied a drug commonly used to sedate animals, which can cause a painless death within 30 minutes. Over two years, this "business" earned him over $400,000 via wire transfers.
Now, facing charges that could lead to a 60-year prison sentence, González has expressed remorse, claiming that his faith has transformed him. He now studies the Bible with other inmates and says he's found hope.
In a recent letter to a judge in Chicago, he wrote, "Give all glory to God and my Lord Jesus because He has illuminated my life and given me hope for the future."
How Did Daniel González Operate?
On June 19, 2015, a package arrived from Mexico for a 52-year-old man in Boulder County, Colorado. Two weeks earlier, he had found an email address online offering assistance with suicide.
In his initial message, he requested three bottles and offered to pay through PayPal. U.S. prosecutors now say that "Alejandro" was González's alias for trafficking these drugs.
On July 2, 2015, local police found this client deceased from an overdose of animal sedative, the same drug González was allegedly supplying. In response, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched an undercover investigation.
Crossing the Border
In March 2016, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents at a UPS center in Louisville, Kentucky, intercepted a package from Mexico labeled as "two Mexican crafts." Upon inspection, agents found two pre-packaged 100ml bottles of an animal sedative. The recipient was staying at a hotel in Illinois and admitted he had been struggling with suicidal thoughts after his wife requested a divorce.
The Suicide Manual
Seeking help online, this man found a "how-to" suicide guide with an email promising access to the drug. For an additional $80, express shipping was offered. Instructions followed, advising the user to delete all communication and discard the bottles securely.
After transferring $644 through Western Union, the recipient received confirmation that the funds had been collected in Puebla. This transaction helped agents identify González as the primary contact in this suicide aid network.
Through email interception, agents discovered González had supplied drugs to clients in the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK. The records reveal at least five confirmed suicides in the U.S. attributed to the drugs González sent.
How Authorities Caught Him
By May 2016, undercover agent Daniel Nugent began posing as a client. González proposed using PayPal for payment, and the agent soon received a package, which allowed investigators to confirm González's fingerprints.
Trial and Defense
González was arrested on April 12, 2021, but formal charges only surfaced on May 30, 2024, when grand jury documents were made public. Intercepted emails and financial records showed González had received about $206,927 through Western Union for his services, with clients from around the world.
In a letter to Judge Sara L. Ellis, González expressed his intention to rehabilitate himself. He claimed to be improving his English and studying the Bible with fellow inmates, inspired by a former convict who had transformed his life in prison.
Source
Mexican newspapers
