Food and Drug Administration | Memory Hole Blog

On Trip to Protest Release of GMO Mosquitoes

By James F. Tracy

On Tuesday, April 10 Washington DC authorities recovered the body of Key West-based environmental activist Milagro de Mier from the pool of a hotel close to the DC Convention Center . de Mier was in the nation’s capital to raise awareness and petition the US Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency on a British biotech company’s plan to release 50 million genetically-modified mosquitoes in Florida and Texas on a weekly basis.

The environmental activist and real estate agent was 45, and the mother of three. “These GMO mosquitoes could pose major risks to fragile ecosystems like the Florida Keys and Texas,” de Mier argued on the page of her Change.org petition, “and may pose risks to public health and safety.

Fox News5 reports on April 10:

Authorities said they were called to the Cambria Hotel & Suites Washington, D.C. Convention Center in the 890 block of O Street, NW at about 9:40 a.m.

According to a police report, a witness found an unconscious woman floating inside the rooftop pool and called 911.

A photo of Cambria Hotel & Suites Washington, D.C. Convention Center located in the 890 block of O Street, NW captured on Tuesday, April 10, 2018.

When emergency crews responded to the scene they found the woman facedown and attempted to revive her but she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities later identified the woman as 45-year-old Milagro Demier of Key West, Florida.

Detectives said a death investigation was underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the drowning. No other details were immediately available.