American Life League exposes network illegally importing abortion pills

A new research project from the American Life League reveals that despite limitations imposed in some states, abortion regulations have not and will not work to stop abortion pills from being sold. The proof is outlined in Beneath the Surface: Exposing the Abortion Pill Drug Cartel, a 13-page report released by American Life League on September 25, 2024.

The report alleges that networks of abortion providers and volunteers are working as drug dealers, using the Internet and the U.S. postal system to send abortion pills (mifepristone and misoprostol) illegally and directly to customers.

The abortion pills end a pregnancy by a two-step process. First, the pregnant mother takes mifepristone, which cuts off the supply of progesterone created by the mother’s body, a natural hormone her preborn baby needs to grow. The baby starves to death in the womb. Then, several days later, the mother takes the second pill, misoprostol, causing her body to contract and expel the dead baby from her womb.

“Women across America are accessing these pills at an astonishing rate,” observed Katie Brown, American Life League National Director, in the report. “It’s clear that the FDA has dropped the ball on this. As the government agency charged with oversight of drugs coming into this country, they have failed. And where is the USPS? The post office is supposed to screen packages for illegal items, yet black market abortion drugs are being mailed into every state.”

Among the key findings in Beneath the Surface: Exposing the Abortion Pill Drug Cartel:

• The Mexico-based Las Libres illegally ships black market abortion pills to American states and U.S. territories that restrict abortion. This is one of multiple “Community Partner Networks” that do so.
• Anyone can buy these unregulated, non-prescribed abortion drugs. They are marketed over the internet to unverified customers from unauthorized, unvalidated suppliers, with no oversight as to drug quality, purity, or suitability of recipient.
• Orders are secret and, as such, are untraceable, as women seeking to obtain abortion pills via mail are instructed how to submit anonymous, cryptic emails using private search engines and surreptitious apps.
• “Lie to your doctor”is the instruction that Las Libres provides its constituents, issuing specific details on how to “hide their abortion if they are experiencing excessive bleeding and need medical attention.”

Uncredentialed Traffickers, Unprotected Women

American Life League, in researching how abortion drugs are distributed, found that mifepristone and its companion drug, misoprostol, are often obtained by mail, often from other countries such as Mexico and India. The abortion pills are being trafficked through a network of volunteers who ship the pregnancy-ending drugs to 28 states and five U.S. territories free of charge (although they do encourage women to send a donation to the group mailing the pills).

In some cases, American Life League alleges, abortion pills might be obtained by a third party without the consent of the pregnant woman, in order to cause her abortion by hiding the pills in her drink and medicating her without her knowledge.

Las Libres, a Mexico-based community network, offers women advice regarding keeping the request a secret. “We recommend using a Proton Mail account for security (yours and ours),” they say.

Open a free account here. Email [volunteer partner’s name] to request pills. In email subject line, write ‘Request for (your first name). In email, include the first day of your last menstrual period. No other information is needed. You will receive instructions for how to order.

A woman need not, according to Las Libres, share information regarding her personal medical history, family medical history, emergency contact, or issues encountered in the pregnancy.

The drugs, which are intended to kill preborn children, may also create potential health risks to their mothers. A New York Times article cited in the report states that the ease in shipping abortion pills from overseas has raised concerns from experts, who say that the pills can be less “effective” due to heat and other damage. Another concern is that the pills may be laced with other drugs and chemicals, or may not be the pills the customer actually ordered.

Another risk for women who take the easily obtained abortion medications is that they may be asked to conceal information from their doctors. Las Libres refers women to an organization which teaches them how to hide their online abortion pill requests by using private search engines and apps. Even more concerning, Las Libres–perhaps in an effort to protect themselves from possible legal action–encourages women to lie to their doctors and hide their abortion, if they are experiencing excessive bleeding and need medical attention. On Las Libres’ “Frequently Asked Questions” page, they explicitly state:

Tell all intake and medical staff that you think you’re having a miscarriage. Do not reveal that you took abortion medications–there is absolutely no way for them to know. The pills will not show up in blood tests or scans. ER staff can provide the appropriate post-miscarriage medical care without knowing that you took pills…

Perhaps even more concerning is Plan C, a project of the National Women’s Health Network, which tells minors how to obtain abortion drugs without parental consent. “If you do not feel able to involve your parent(s) in your decision,” they say,

…there are two options you can use.

If you are less than 13 weeks pregnant (counting from the first day of your last period), you can get abortion pills mailed to you from Aid Access. They serve minors in all states and territories. They are able to serve minors without parental consent or notification because they operate from states with special laws that do not require them to do this.

The second option, obtaining a judicial bypass, is free but is more complicated–requiring a court process which may last one to three weeks. In that case, Plan C recommends turning for help to organizations such as If/When/How, the ACLU, and Jane’s Due Process.

Lack of Government Oversight

With abortion-inducing drugs being widely distributed through various organizations and shipped from other countries, it’s difficult to control their use. In Beneath the Surface: Exposing the Abortion Pill Drug Cartel, the American Life League offers some suggestions to government agencies which may want to protect the American people. “The first possible solution,” they say,

…would be for Border Patrol to bar unauthorized packages of pills from crossing the nation’s border…. The second possible solution would be for the Department of Homeland Security to tackle this issue head on. DHS, charged with protecting Americans at home, has a vested interest in shielding American citizens from dangerous materials that cross our nation’s border.

According to recent statistics released by the pro-abortion Guttmacher Institute, about 63% of abortions are performed using the two-step medication process. Planned Parenthood reports that nearly 70% of its abortion clients choose to end their pregnancy using the abortion pill.

However, American Life League points out that these official statistics take into account only those abortions which are performed under the supervision of a medical professional. If one factors in the large number of abortions performed at home using pills alone, the number of preborn children killed by mifepristone is probably closer to 80% or 90% of all abortions, they say.