Florida Sheriff Calls Bust 'Breaking Bad On Steroids' After Seizing 92,000 Pounds Of Drugs And Military-Grade Weapons

Massive Drug And Weapons Cache Dismantled In Florida

Florida law enforcement officials say they dismantled a large-scale drug and weapons operation run by 26-year-old Maxwell Horvath, seizing roughly 92,000 pounds of illicit material and an extensive stockpile of military-grade weapons and explosives.

The investigation, which began in September, targeted a business called Overseas Organics. Agents purchased products derived from kratom that reportedly contained a concentrated alkaloid, 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH). Authorities say Horvath showed agents around the facility and claimed to produce a compound he asserted was "13 times more potent than morphine." Investigators emphasized that those potency claims are allegations under active inquiry.

"He's proud of his business. This thing looked like 'Breaking Bad' on steroids. ... He had it lined up with all sorts of different chambers and rooms and sterile environments. … They were taking [the substance], extracting it, putting it in compressing machines," Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said.

When the facility was raided, officials reported seizing about 92,000 pounds of illegal substances with an estimated street value near $4.7 million. Law enforcement also recovered a large cache of weapons and explosive materials, including:

• Five improvised explosive devices (IEDs)
• 12 rifles, 17 pistols, and three shotguns
• Two fully automatic submachine guns and a short-barreled rifle
• A .50-caliber weapon mounted on a tripod
• Three suppressors, thousands of rounds of ammunition, and grenade simulators
• Fifty pounds of precursor chemicals used to manufacture explosives

Authorities described the operation as among the largest of its kind in the country. "This is what danger looks like right here," Sheriff Ivey said, warning that Horvath had been manufacturing suppressors, fully automatic weapons and explosive devices and that the scope of the cache presented a significant public safety threat.

Horvath faces multiple federal charges, including 36 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of possession of a short-barreled machine gun, and possession of a short-barreled rifle. Officials said additional charges related to explosive devices are expected.

Horvath has a prior federal arrest at age 17. He previously served two years in prison and two years of federal probation for possession of an explosive device and MDMA trafficking. City of Palm Bay Police Chief Mariano Augello called Horvath "already pretty much a career offender" and said investigators will pursue further charges as the probe continues.

Note: Details about the potency of the kratom-derived compound and many investigative findings are based on statements from law enforcement and are part of an ongoing investigation.