Man Dies After Toad Venom Ritual At Porn Star Nacho Vidal’s Home

Following an 11-month investigation, Spanish porn star Nacho Vidal was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a man died at Vidal’s home from inhaling toad venom. An article from the BBC states that the man who died was a photographer named Jose Luis Abad. The 2 other people arrested were not named but are said to be a man and a woman aged 37 to 50. Those involved, along with Abad, were said to be taking part in a ceremonial ritual that involved using a pipe to inhale toad venom from the glands of bufo alvarius, also known as the Colorado River toad or the Sonoran Desert toad. The toad is found in the southwestern United States as well as in northern Mexico.

A statement from local authorities in Enguera, Valencia said, “Officers began the investigation after the death of a person during a mystical ritual involving the inhalation of vapours from the venom of the bufo alvarius toad.” Vidal was arrested for manslaughter and violating public health laws. Vidal’s lawyer, Daniel Salvador, stated that his client considers himself to be innocent and was “very upset by the death of this person.” Salvador also stated that Abad had previously tried inhaling the venom before and wanted to try it again, “With all due respect to the dead man and his family, Nacho maintains that the consumption [of the venom] was completely voluntary,” Salvador said to La Vanguardia newspaper.

Nacho Vidal

Porn star Nacho Vidal, 46, has spoken about his toad venom use in a YouTube video uploaded 4 years ago, according to the Spanish newspaper El País. In the video, Vidal reportedly stated that he had a “humble experience” with the toad and it helped him with his addictions and attachments. Vidal’s pornography career spanned 26 years and he has appeared in at least 10,000 scenes. He has also directed adult films and is known for selling aromatized candles that are modeled to be a replica of Vidal’s genitalia. They are available on his website for about 28 U.S. dollars. Although Vidal has spoken about his use of toad venom in the past, his lawyer denied that he partook in regular rituals. The toads that are used have glands that excrete toxins containing 5-MeO-DMT, which gives the user a psychedelic trip.

Getting High On Toad Venom?

For years there have been reports about people licking toads to get high, but most users of the Colorado River toad are likely smoking the toxins. The liquid that is secreted from the toad’s back is milked out and then dried into a paste, where it then can be smoked with a pipe. Once 5-MeO-DMT is inhaled, it will produce a hallucinogenic experience, with auditory and visual hallucinations. Some users say it is indescribable and mystical, “a feeling of pure awareness, of freedom from self-limitations, and of a bond with something greater.” The experience lasts about 20 minutes on average but can be shorter or up to 90 minutes. The user will be physically incapacitated during this time. Some studies have found that the use of this drug has provided improvements in anxiety and depression, but research is still underway.

In 2010, 5-MeO-DMT was named a Schedule I drug, meaning it has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States and is illegal to produce or possess. In some parts of the United States, substances containing dimethyltryptamine (DMT) have been decriminalized, like the brew ayahuasca. There are ayahuasca retreats around the world where people pay to attend under the supervision of a facilitator and ingest the drink, experiencing a psychedelic trip. While generally considered safe, there have been reports of 5-MeO-DMT causing unconsciousness and respiratory depression. When combined with certain antidepressants, serious side effects like seizures, hypertensive symptoms, kidney damage, and death may occur. It is unknown whether Jose Luis Abad had any underlying conditions when he inhaled the venom at Nacho Vidal’s home. Investigation is still underway, but investigators stated that they discovered rituals involving toad venom were being performed promising medicinal benefits.