Late-Term Abortionist’s Medical License Expires, Might be Done Killing Babies

According to public records obtained by Operation Rescue, Cesare Santangelo’s DC medical license lapsed on June 30, 2026, and has not been renewed.

Santangelo’s late-term Washington Surgi-Center is one of about a dozen abortion clinics across the nation that offers abortions into the third trimester, and for any reason.

Despite overwhelming evidence of egregious activities and medical neglect over many years, Santangleo has avoided any real punishment or discipline, left to continue killing viable children — and at least one woman — at will.

In 2010, his late-term abortion clinic killed Rebecca Carey Charland. Instead of being referred to a specialist after pregnancy complications that resulted in the death of her unborn child, she was tragically referred to Santangelo. According to the lawsuit later filed by the family, Santanglo not only ignored Charland’s complicated medical condition, he also failed to call 911 in a timely manner when she began to deteriorate.

HELP LIFENEWS SAVE BABIES FROM ABORTION! Please help LifeNews.com with a donation!

In August 2022, pro-lifers secured the remains of 115 babies that had been killed at Santangelo’s clinic. At least five of those babies, later known as the “D.C. Five,” appeared to have been nearly full-term when they were killed.

More recently, Santangelo was forced to shutter his clinic in September 2025 amid a lapsed facility license. At the time, the nearly 70-year-old abortionist was also reportedly experiencing severe health problems.

The clinic never seemed to recover. At the writing of this article, a list of licensed DC ambulatory centers found on the DC Health website and updated on June 25, 2026, still does not include the Washington Surgi-Center. The clinic website is also defunct.

Now the DC Health website also shows Santangelo’s license has been expired for nearly a week.

“We can only hope that Santangelo is done killing in DC. Failing health, recent complaints and disciplines, and maybe even the guilt of brutally dismembering innocent children may all be weighing on him — as it should,” says Troy Newman, President of Operation Rescue. “You can’t spend your life devoted to destroying innocent human life and expect to never feel the weight of it. Abortionists who have repented and left the industry can attest to this truth.”

Public records show that Santangelo is still licensed in Maryland, and it’s entirely possible that he may try to relocate his business. His DC license is also eligible for renewal, but it seems his infamous clinic has remained a defunct operation, and public scrutiny of his dark deeds has only grown in the last several years.

“We pray he quits abortion altogether,” adds Newman. “Perhaps a break from such a vile industry would create space for Santangelo to finally seek forgiveness in Christ. In the meantime, we will certainly celebrate one of the most abortionists in this country no longer holding a license in DC — even if only temporarily. Every day he isn’t killing is a win for the babies.”

LifeNews Note: This article was originally published by Operation Rescue, a leading pro-life, Christian activist organization dedicated to exposing abortion abuses, demanding enforcement, saving innocent lives, and building an abortion-free America. The author, Sarah Neely, is Chief Operating Officer for Operation Rescue.