A woman from New York City was arrested on Friday with the charge of performing illegal breast and buttocks enhancement procedures in her home, sometimes charging more than $1,000 for injections of liquid silicone.
The court documents filed in Manhattan Federal Court, Whalesca Castillo read that the imported liquid silicone from her native Dominican Republic for her underground practice at her home in the Bronx. She went so far as to warn one of her clients who fainted after the injections not to seek medical attention, saying the hospital would not help her because the procedure was illegal.
Whalesca Castillo, 36, is an unlicensed doctor was arrested after she was mailed, via FedEx, “a silicone substance” she used as part of an illegal clinic. This has been going on for the pas two years say authorities. In November 2010, federal agents recovered numerous trash bags in the vicinity of Castillo’s home. The trash bags had in them over one hundred bottles, some of which were tested and had silicone residue on them, syringes, needles, bloodied gauze and dozens of tubes of Krazy Glue, which unlicensed practitioners sometimes use to seal puncture wounds.
In spite of silicone being approved by the Food and Drug Administration for cosmetic use, the injection of liquid silicone for cosmetic purposes is prohibited. Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “Whalesca Castillo put the health of unsuspecting women at risk, all to make a quick buck.” Castillo faces up to three years in prison. Attorney Jorge Guttlein said his client, who is eight and half months pregnant, will plead not guilty.