USADA announced today that Valeria Cardozo Cabrera, of Miami, Fla., an athlete in the sport of cycling, has accepted a three-year period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for a prohibited substance.
Cabrera, 27, tested positive for an anabolic agent as the result of a urine sample collected at the Spartanburg Criterium on May 2, 2025. Cabrera’s urine sample was analyzed using a specialized test known as Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS), that unequivocally differentiates between anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) naturally produced by the body and AAS of synthetic origin. The IRMS analysis was consistent with the exogenous origin of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in Cabrera’s sample.
DHEA is a non–Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and is prohibited at all times under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policy, and the International Cycling Union Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
USADA reminds athletes and support personnel that while DHEA is legally available in the United States as an ingredient in over-the-counter products, it remains a prohibited substance.
Under Article 10.8.1 of the Code, an athlete who faces an anti-doping rule violation that carries a period of ineligibility of four or more years may receive a one-year sanction reduction if the athlete admits the violation and accepts the asserted sanction within 20 days of notification of the alleged anti-doping rule violation charge. Per the rule, Cabrera qualified for a one-year reduction to the otherwise applicable four-year period of ineligibility.
Cabrera’s three-year period of ineligibility began on July 17, 2025, the date her provisional suspension was imposed. In addition, Cabrera has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained on and subsequent to May 2, 2025, the date her positive sample was collected, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes. The results management process was delayed due to incoming information relevant to USADA’s investigation, although Cabrera remained provisionally suspended while the case was pending resolution.
In an effort to aid athletes, as well as support team members such as parents, coaches, and medical professionals in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on its website on the testing process and prohibited substances, how to file and update athlete Whereabouts, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs.
In addition, USADA manages a drug reference hotline, Global Drug Reference Online (GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as a supplement guide, a nutrition guide, a clean sport handbook, and periodic alerts and advisories.
USADA makes available a number of ways to report the abuse of performance-enhancing drugs in sport in an effort to protect clean athletes and promote clean competition. Any tip can be reported using the USADA Play Clean Tip Center, by text at 87232 (“USADA”), by email at playclean@USADA.org, by phone at 1-877-Play Clean (1-877-752-9253) or by mail.
USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement and is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.
For more information or media inquiries, email Media@USADA.org.
