A faculty member at the University of Miami’s medical school faces serious allegations related to the distribution of a drug commonly associated with date-rape, referred to as “liquid ecstasy” and “coma in a bottle.”
Dr. Dairon Garcia, 44, faced drug-related charges on Friday following authorities’ claims of his connection to a package intercepted at Miami International Airport. The package reportedly contained approximately 15 pounds of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, known as GHB, which the DEA has classified as a date-rape drug, according to WPLG-TV.
Garcia, who serves as an assistant professor of clinical radiology at the UM Miller School of Medicine, became part of the faculty in 2022 following his graduation from Duke University’s medical school, according to the outlet.
Authorities have brought charges related to a package originating from Paris, France, which was sent to a duplex owned by Garcia and intercepted by customs officials at the airport on August 29.
Authorities in Miami received a notification from the US Department of Homeland Security, leading them to monitor the location when a package arrived on September 12 and was collected from the doorstep by a female individual.
Following the police raid on the residence, the woman’s daughter informed officers that the landlord, Garcia, had reached out to indicate that a package intended for him would be arriving at the location and requested that they “please received [sic] that package,” as noted in a police report examined by WPLG.
In a related incident, a resident of the apartment complex informed authorities that a package intended for Garcia from France arrived at their location on September 7. Additionally, another package was intercepted on September 25, addressed to DG Diagnostics MD LLC, a company registered to Garcia.
Authorities took him into custody on Friday at his residence on Biscayne Boulevard Way in downtown Miami.
During his arraignment on Friday, he entered a plea of not guilty and was subsequently ordered to be held on $15,000 bail, which he managed to post later that evening. He chose not to provide any remarks as he departed.
Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, commonly known as GHB, is a colorless substance that can be easily blended into various beverages, often leading individuals to unknowingly ingest it until they lose consciousness, according to the DEA. This has resulted in several concerning monikers such as “grievous bodily harm” and “coma in a bottle.”