Puerto Rico Doctor Permanently Loses DEA Controlled Substances License
Published Date: 9/21/2026
Notice
Summary
Dr. Esther Villanueva Valdes from Puerto Rico lost her DEA registration because she’s no longer allowed to handle controlled substances and was excluded from federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid. She didn’t ask for a hearing, so the decision to revoke her registration is final. This means she can’t legally prescribe or manage controlled drugs anymore, effective immediately.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
DEA Registration Revoked in Puerto Rico
DEA Certificate of Registration No. BV4657485 issued to Dr. Esther Villanueva Valdes is revoked, effective October 21, 2026. As of that date, she may not lawfully prescribe, dispense, or otherwise handle controlled substances, and any pending applications to renew, modify, or obtain DEA registration in Puerto Rico are denied.
Mandatory Exclusion From Federal Health Programs
Dr. Villanueva Valdes was mandatorily excluded from participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and all Federal health care programs effective March 20, 2022 for a minimum period of 8 years under 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7(a). This exclusion is an independent basis for denying or revoking DEA registration.
State Medical and Controlled-Substance Licenses Lapsed
The record shows Dr. Villanueva Valdes's Puerto Rico medical license expired on July 4, 2022 and her Puerto Rico controlled substance license expired on August 31, 2023; DEA found she is not licensed to practice medicine in Puerto Rico. Those lapsed state licenses support revocation of her DEA registration.
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