Texas AG sues Bay Area doctor over mail-order abortion pills

Lawsuit targets Sonoma County telemedicine provider accused of helping women access abortion services banned in Texas

Published on Feb. 25, 2026

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Remy Coeytaux, a Sonoma County telemedicine provider, along with nonprofit Aid Access and its founder Rebecca Gomperts. The lawsuit alleges they conspired to mail abortion medication into Texas, which has banned virtually all abortions. Coeytaux is also being sued by a Texas man for allegedly mailing the abortion pills that his girlfriend used to end two pregnancies before he impregnated her a third time, and is being pursued for extradition by Louisiana state officials on similar claims.

Why it matters

This case highlights the legal battles over abortion access in a post-Roe v. Wade landscape, with some states like Texas seeking to enforce strict abortion bans while others like California have passed laws to protect reproductive rights. The use of telemedicine and mail-order abortion pills has become a flashpoint, with anti-abortion advocates arguing it undermines state sovereignty while abortion rights supporters say it is a necessary safeguard.

The details

Paxton's lawsuit, filed in Galveston County District Court, alleges that Aid Access and Coeytaux "operate an international abortion-by-mail enterprise that illegally ships abortion-inducing drugs into Texas in open defiance of Texas law." The lawsuit cites the federal lawsuits of a Texas man, Jerry Hernandez Rodriguez, and another client of his attorney Jonathan Franklin Mitchell, and claims Coeytaux belongs to a network of providers working with Aid Access to provide abortion pills to patients in states that have outlawed the procedure.

  • In 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing states to ban abortion.
  • In November 2024, an NBC News article identified Coeytaux as a representative of A Safe Choice who credited Aid Access with creating a model for other providers 'to expand on.'

The players

Ken Paxton

The Texas Attorney General who has filed a lawsuit against Dr. Remy Coeytaux and others for allegedly mailing abortion medication into Texas, which has banned virtually all abortions.

Dr. Remy Coeytaux

A Sonoma County telemedicine provider who is being sued by Texas and also faces lawsuits from a Texas man and extradition requests from Louisiana for allegedly mailing abortion pills to women in those states.

Aid Access

A nonprofit organization that is being sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton along with Dr. Remy Coeytaux for allegedly conspiring to mail abortion medication into Texas.

Rebecca Gomperts

The founder of Aid Access, which is being sued by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton along with Dr. Remy Coeytaux for allegedly conspiring to mail abortion medication into Texas.

Jerry Hernandez Rodriguez

A Texas man who has sued Dr. Remy Coeytaux for allegedly mailing the abortion pills that his girlfriend used to end two pregnancies before he impregnated her a third time.

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What they’re saying

“My office will defend the lives of the unborn and relentlessly enforce our state's pro-life laws against Aid Access and other radicals like it.”

— Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General (Texas Attorney General's Office)

“Texas Attorney General Paxton is taking his anti-abortion crusade outside the state to come after doctors well beyond its borders. Texans need the full range of reproductive healthcare, not a draconian abortion ban and harassing lawsuits seeking to enforce it.”

— Nancy Northup, President, Center for Reproductive Rights (Center for Reproductive Rights)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to grant the injunctions sought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to prevent Dr. Remy Coeytaux, Aid Access, and Rebecca Gomperts from providing abortion medication to patients in Texas.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing legal battles over abortion access in a post-Roe v. Wade landscape, with some states seeking to enforce strict bans while others work to protect reproductive rights. The use of telemedicine and mail-order abortion pills has become a flashpoint, with anti-abortion advocates arguing it undermines state sovereignty and abortion rights supporters saying it is a necessary safeguard.