Federal authorities have seized at U.S. airports unauthorized versions of the Covid-19 treatment remdesivir destined for distribution in Mexico, the latest effort by the government to root out criminal activity related to the pandemic.

Counterfeit or generic versions of remdesivir, an antiviral manufactured by Gilead Sciences Inc., GILD 0.80% are arriving in the U.S. by plane from Bangladesh and India and being smuggled by individuals to Mexico for patients willing to pay top dollar for the drugs, people familiar with the investigation said.

In recent months, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have captured more than 100 shipments that they referred to U.S. Department of Homeland Security special agents for further investigation, according to the people.

DHS agents have coordinated testing to determine whether the confiscated items are counterfeit or generic, according to the people. Generic forms of remdesivir aren’t licensed for use in the U.S. or Mexico. In most circumstances, it is illegal in the U.S. to market or import unlicensed prescription drugs.

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/illicit-covid-19-drugs-bound-for-mexico-seized-by-u-s-authorities-11624440602