Stop us if you've heard this one before... We know what you're thinking: Isn't this just another "Spanish porn star arrested on manslaughter charges after inhaling psychedelic toad venom" story? It seems like they are just a dime a dozen nowadays.
But such is life: the latest case comes from Madrid, where a porn star named "Nacho Vidal" (of course) was arrested not only on manslaughter charges, but also for crimes against public health.
Nacho was detained last week in Valencia in connection with the death of a man that occurred in July 2019, according to AFP. The man who died was identified as fashion photographer Jose Luis Abad. The arrest comes after an 11 month inquiry into Abad's death and Vidal. Nacho Vidal, looking totally normal Recommended Videos People head to square as travel restrictions ease Duration 0:26 / Current Time 0:23
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A police statement said: "The police operation began following the victim's death during the celebration of a mystic ritual based on the inhalation of venom of the bufo alvarius toad."
The toad "secretes venom containing a very powerful natural psychedelic substance known as 5-MeO-DMT," AFP wrote. The effects of the toad venom have been compared to DMT or ayahuasca.
Authorities have said rituals like this one have been carried out "regularly" on the grounds that they offered medicinal benefits. Instead, authorities said it posed a "serious health risk" and lured in those who were "easily influenced, vulnerable or who were seeking help for illnesses or addictions using alternative methods."
Vidal, described by AFP as "a media-savvy porn star in his mid-40s whose Twitter feed is full of ads for his 25-centimetre aromatic candles of the male genitalia," (we swear we are not making this up) would host the rituals in his home.