How a crackhead-turned-shaman got the rich and famous hooked on smoking the psychedelic venom of a Mexican desert toad

Nypost · Aug 09, 2026 · 1251 words · By Caroline Howe

Cult of Personality Psychedelic Drug Use Medical Ethics and Abuse

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What to know about Cult of Personality

How a crackhead-turned-shaman got the rich and famous hooked on smoking the psychedelic venom of a Mexican desert toad See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 18

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Center coverage

Left50%

Center0%

Right50%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

How a crackhead-turned-shaman got the rich and famous hooked on smoking the psychedelic venom of a Mexican desert toad See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google Some druggies trip on acid.

Common ground

Mescaline heads claim using it brings instant enlightenment.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Cult of Personality story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that 5-MeO-DMT, a little-known psychoactive chemical compound?
How does this story connect Cult of Personality with Psychedelic Drug Use over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/09/lifestyle/how-a-wacko-got-the-rich-and-famous-hook…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Name Calling / Labeling 85% confidence

Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.

Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 18 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 8

info Single Source 3

check_circle Corroborated 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

verified Verified By Reference 2

verified Verified 1

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Claim 1: “5-MeO-DMT, a little-known psychoactive chemical compound”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources, including DMT-Nexus and a specialized psychoactive medicine site, confirm that 5-MeO-DMT is a psychoactive compound.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Psychedelic drug is a term used to describe the drug class of hallucinogens which include classic psychedelics, dissociatives, deliriants, and sometimes includes stimulants like entactogens.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_drug

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 5-Methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a psychoactive compound found in several plants and in high concentrations in Bufo alvarius toad venom.
https://www.dmt-nexus.me/forum/default.aspx?g=posts&t=79512

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 5-MeO-DMT is a psychoactive medicine that has been known to produce a non-dual experience in those who work with it. The corresponding non-dual feeling is precisely what sparks the transformation that…
https://www.tandavaretreats.com/blog-posts/5-meo-dmt-psychoa…

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Claim 2: “The Seri people had already disavowed him years before. The small Mexican tribe demanded he stop using their name”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 3: “The United Nations Association of Venezuela endorsed him in 2014 as a “carrier of traditional indigenous medicine.””

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 4: “Hunter Biden smoked the toad and claimed in his memoir it kept him clean from cocaine for a year.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence mentions a Tucker Carlson interview with Hunter Biden, but does not contain the specific claim about the memoir or cocaine abstinence.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Hunter Biden Interview. The Tucker Carlson Show•Premiered 6 days ago•123 mins. Add to Calendar. Our conversation with Hunter Biden. Chapters.
https://tuckercarlson.com/the-hunter-biden-interview-081026

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — 5-MeO-DMT Information & Vital Education - F.I.V.E. The centralized resource hub on 5-MeO-DMT with a mission to promote harm reduction within the community.Leading 5-MeO-DMT discovery with real-world d…
https://five-meo.education/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Can you believe Biden and his family profited from the presidency? I sure am glad Trump is making billions and so is his family from defense contracts and Exxon.DSA HIJACKED DSD (deep state democrats)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Odh0mVMXNc

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Claim 5: “the brains and “chief instigator” behind toad smoking was a “charismatic Mexican doctor,” Octavio Rettig Hinojosa”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources identify Octavio Rettig as a doctor and practitioner who facilitates sessions with Bufo alvarius (Sonoran Desert toad) venom.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Colorado River toad (Incilius alvarius), (previously Bufo alvarius) also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, is a toad species found in northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River_toad

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Colorado River toad, also known as the Sonoran Desert toad, is a toad species found in northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It is well known for its ability to exude toxins from…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_River_toad

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Octavio Rettig and Gerry Sandoval are authors, doctors, and psychedelic practitioners who regularly facilitate sessions with the Bufo alvarius toad venom, charging on average between $200-$400 a perso…
https://entheonation.com/blog/death-fraud-octavio-rettig-ger…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 6: “Researchers began running clinical trials with the drug for mental-health and addiction treatment.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 7: “A TEDx organizer named Klaudia Oliver caught wind of Octavio... The pair traveled to the 2013 Burning Man Festival”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 8: “Gerardo Sandoval, a fellow student at the University of Guadalajara who was convinced he could cure Octavio’s cocaine addiction with 5-MeO-DMT.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 9: “Kimon de Greef’s mind-blowing and meticulous “The Ego Trip: Psychedelic Toads, a Trail of Deaths, and the Guru Who Peddled Transcendence” (Doubleday).”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim is mentioned in the context of a book review in the evidence for claim 1, but the specific evidence results provided for claim 3 are irrelevant Facebook developer links. Only the NYT review (found in claim 1 evidence) supports this.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Jan 27, 2011 · from my Android app, I would like to open a link to a Facebook profile in the official Facebook app (if the app is installed, of course). For iPhone, there exists the fb:// URL scheme, …
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4810803/open-facebook-pa…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — May 29, 2010 · Here 's the Facebook's official page with developer tools. There used to be an FQL console there, but it's no longer available. You can use the tools there to test other FB API though. …
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/2935101/run-facebook-fql…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Feb 17, 2011 · Facebook will not allow developers pre-fill messages. Developers may customize the story by providing OG meta tags, but it's up to the user to fill the message. This is only possible if…
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5023602/facebook-share-l…

info

Claim 10: “That discharge hardens into brittle flakes, which are then vaporized in glass pipes and smoked”

SINGLE SOURCE

The New York Times book review explicitly mentions the venom is dried and vaporized. However, the other provided web results for this claim are irrelevant (software/CAD), leaving only one relevant source.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Sonoran Desert (Spanish: Desierto de Sonora) is a hot desert and ecoregion in North America that covers parts of the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoran_Desert

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Sonoran CAD is a free CAD/MDT and records management system for gaming communities. Register your community for free today!
https://sonorancad.com/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This plugin allows Sonoran Radio customers to connect the radio with the Sonoran CAD. View your unit status, dispatch call information, toggle a panic, and more!
https://sonoranradio.com/

help

Claim 11: “Bill Atkinson, one of the first members of the Apple Macintosh development team, told de Greef he first smoked the toad in 2017”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching.

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Claim 12: “Octavio then introduced it to a Northern Mexico tribe overwhelmed by a methamphetamine crisis in the early 2010s.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 13: “The messianic figure was eventually arrested by Mexican police in connection with a death, but he was never convicted”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 14: “In medieval Europe, they were key ingredients in witches’ brew, and ancient Brahmin texts compare the rhythmic croaking of frogs to students reciting sacred hymns.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found after searching.

verified

Claim 15: “Press on the glands of the obscure Sonoran Desert toad — found in Mexico’s vast and deadly desert — and it will release venom.”

VERIFIED

Wikipedia and the National Park Service confirm the Sonoran Desert toad (Colorado River toad) is found in Mexico and the US Southwest and exudes toxins/venom from its glands.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Scolopendra heros, commonly known as the Arizona desert centipede, giant desert centipede, giant Sonoran centipede, Texas black-tailed centipede, Texas redheaded centipede, and giant redheaded centipe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scolopendra_heros

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Sonoran Desert (Spanish: Desierto de Sonora) is a hot desert and ecoregion in North America that covers parts of the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoran_Desert

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Chihuahuan Desert (Spanish: Desierto de Chihuahua, Desierto Chihuahuense) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much o…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chihuahuan_Desert

+ 3 more evidence sources

schedule

Claim 16: “In 2016, Octavio was allegedly spotted on video kicking and slapping a terrified male client on a Venezuela beach.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 17: “Mike Tyson confessed on “The Joe Rogan Experience” that he had smoked the toad”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided includes Wikipedia entries for Mike Tyson's miniseries and the Joe Rogan Experience, but no evidence that Tyson actually stated he smoked 5-MeO-DMT on the show.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Neil deGrasse Tyson (US: də-GRASS; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_deGrasse_Tyson

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Joe Rogan Experience is a podcast hosted by American comedian, presenter, and UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. It was initiated on December 24, 2009, on YouTube by Rogan and comedian Brian Redban,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Joe_Rogan_Experience

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tyson Luke Fury (born 12 August 1988) is a British professional boxer. He held multiple world heavyweight championships, including unified titles from 2015 to 2016, the Ring magazine title twice betwe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyson_Fury

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 18: “Former Navy Seal Robert O’Neill — who took credit for firing the shots that took down Osama bin Laden — revealed in an interview with Tucker Carlson he smoked the toad as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The evidence provided for this claim consists of general Wikipedia entries on 5-MeO-DMT, psychotherapy, and a TV show called 'Deadly Women'. There is no mention of Robert O'Neill or Tucker Carlson in the provided evidence.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Deadly Women is an American true crime documentary television series produced by Beyond International Group and airing on the Investigation Discovery (ID) network. The series focuses on murders commit…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadly_Women

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Deadly Women is an American documentary television series focusing on true crime, specifically female killers. It first aired in 2005 on the Discovery Channel. It was originally based on a TV document…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Deadly_Women_episodes

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of psychological methods, particularly when based on regular personal interaction, to help a person change behav…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychotherapy

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.