LOS ANGELES –  On June 22, 2017, investigators with the California Department of Consumer Affairs, Division of Investigation, Health Quality Investigation Unit, Operation Safe Medicine Unit, along with agents with the United States Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, arrested a Monterey Park woman on federal charges of injecting a currently unknown substance – possibly silicone – into a woman’s buttocks during a cosmetic procedure that caused so much damage, the woman needed a major operation to correct the problem.

Ana Bertha Diaz Hernandez, 47, faces three felony charges including receipt of an adulterated and misbranded medical device, smuggling, and misbranding prescription drugs.

According to the affidavit, a victim identified as “I.T.”, filed a complaint with the California Medical Board after seeking treatments from Diaz to enhance her buttocks. I.T. stated that the product Diaz had injected into her buttocks had migrated to her “back, hips and legs.” I.T. explained that she had to have surgery and was ultimately hospitalized due to the injections administered by Diaz.

According to the victim, during a series of treatments that cost thousands of dollars, Diaz explained. that she was injecting a “natural product,” at points claiming the injections were “lamb’s fat.”

After a series of treatments, I.T. began to suffer pain and sought the assistance of a doctor who specialized in reversing cosmetic procedures. The victim underwent a major surgery to remove the substance injected into her buttocks, and will need further medical procedures, according to the affidavit.

“This is an example of state and federal law enforcement officers combining resources and putting their expertise in various areas of the law together to investigate, arrest and assist in the prosecution of someone suspected of causing great harm to another,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.

According to the complaint, the FDA has never approved the use of silicone for the purpose of body contouring, even when administered by a medical doctor.

If convicted of all three charges in the complaint, Diaz would face a statutory maximum sentence of 26 years in federal prison.

CSLEA and California Association of Criminal Investigators (CACI) involved in the investigation include DCA Investigators:

Jaime Sandoval, case agent

Carmen Aguilera-Marquez, supervising investigator

Majida Ibrahim, investigator

Tracy Tue, investigator