Two convicted of R22 refrigerant smuggling
14th February 2025
USA: Two men have been convicted for separate instances of smuggling R22 refrigerant into the USA from Mexico.
In January, the US District Court for the Southern District of California sentenced Todd Campbell to 12-months probation and ordered him to pay a fine of $8,808 in restitution to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Campbell pleaded guilty to failure to declare merchandise for inspection, after driving his vehicle into the US from Mexico via the San Ysidro Port of Entry in September 2024.
Inside his vehicle, he was carrying seven 30lb cylinders of R22 refrigerant, which he intentionally failed to declare for inspection. As a result of Campbell’s actions, the EPA was forced to properly dispose of the refrigerant, incurring a cost of $8,808.
The same court also sentenced Edwin Flores to one-year’s probation and to pay $2,900 in restitution to US Customs and Border Protection for bringing three 30lb cylinders of R22 into the US last April.
Flores pleaded guilty to conspiracy and failing to present merchandise for inspection by a customs officer when he drove a vehicle across the US-Mexico border.
