A Texas anesthesiologist has been sentenced to 190 years in federal prison for a shocking crime that left one person dead and several others fighting for their lives. Dr. Raynaldo Rivera Ortiz Jr., 60, was convicted of tampering with IV bags at a surgical center in North Dallas where he worked. His actions led to at least one death and a string of medical emergencies, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Ortiz’s trial lasted eight days, and a jury found him guilty on multiple charges, including intentionally contaminating drugs and tampering with medical products in ways that caused serious harm. At his sentencing, Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey didn’t hold back, saying Ortiz’s actions were “tantamount to attempted murder.”
The terrifying string of incidents happened between May and August 2022 at Baylor, Scott & White SurgiCare. Patients undergoing routine surgeries started experiencing sudden, life-threatening heart problems. These weren’t high-risk procedures—simple surgeries turned into emergencies, leaving doctors scrambling to save lives.
The horror escalated when one of Ortiz’s colleagues, also an anesthesiologist, died after using an IV bag to treat her dehydration. Then, an 18-year-old patient nearly died during sinus surgery. At that point, the medical staff began to suspect the IV bags were the source of the problem.
When the IV bag used in the teen’s surgery was tested, it revealed a chilling discovery: the bag had been tampered with. It contained a dangerous mix of drugs, including bupivacaine, epinephrine, and lidocaine—medications that, when combined, can cause extreme reactions like high blood pressure, heart problems, and fluid in the lungs. A tiny puncture in the bag confirmed someone had deliberately tampered with it.
Investigators quickly zeroed in on Ortiz. Security footage showed him repeatedly removing and replacing IV bags in the facility’s warming bin—shortly before the tainted bags were used. It turned out Ortiz was injecting saline bags with a deadly drug cocktail, knowing his colleagues would unknowingly use them on patients. Prosecutors argued that Ortiz’s actions were driven by revenge because he was under disciplinary review for a mistake in one of his surgeries and feared losing his medical license.
In court, heartbreaking testimony painted a picture of the devastation Ortiz left behind. The son of one victim shared how his 10-year-old no longer trusts doctors, saying, “A doctor tried to kill Pops.” The husband of the anesthesiologist who died described the haunting memory of finding his wife lifeless, calling her “the strongest woman” he had ever known.
Prosecutors called Ortiz’s crimes as dangerous as a gunman firing into a crowd. “He wielded an invisible weapon,” U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton said, adding that his actions targeted helpless patients lying unconscious on operating tables.
Ortiz’s license was suspended shortly after his arrest in September 2022. For his victims and their families, his sentencing brings a sense of justice, though the scars of his betrayal may never fully heal.
