Brevard County sheriff says the Palm Bay case is the largest U.S. seizure of its kind and calls it “Breaking Bad on steroids.”
PALM BAY, FL. — A monthslong investigation led deputies to a Palm Bay warehouse where they say they seized 92,000 pounds of a kratom-derived drug compound, dozens of firearms and five improvised explosive devices, and arrested 26-year-old Maxwell Horvath on Wednesday, according to the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
The bust, unveiled Thursday, is being described by Sheriff Wayne Ivey as the largest seizure of its kind in the United States. Investigators from the sheriff’s office worked with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Palm Bay police. Authorities say the compound suspected at the site, known as 7-OH, is illegal in Florida and was allegedly pressed into pills on-site. The case arrives as federal and state officials step up enforcement against unregulated opioid-like products. Horvath remains in custody while local and federal authorities sort through a lengthy list of potential charges.
Detectives began the case in September, conducting undercover buys and surveillance tied to a business operating out of a low-slung warehouse in a Palm Bay shopping plaza. Ivey said the operation sold compressed pills containing a concentrated extract taken from kratom. Inside, investigators reported finding lab-style rooms, pill presses and storage areas stacked with boxes of raw material. “This looked like ‘Breaking Bad’ on steroids,” Ivey said during a briefing, adding that agents also recovered grenade simulators, chemicals used to make explosives, thousands of rounds of ammunition and a mix of high-powered rifles and handguns. He said Horvath gave undercover agents a tour and insisted shipping the product out of state kept him within the law.
Authorities said the 92,000-pound haul equals roughly 46 tons of material suspected to include 7-OH, which officials described as about 13 times more potent than morphine when pressed into pill form. Investigators also reported five improvised explosive devices, multiple grenade simulators, and “thousands” of rounds of ammunition, along with dozens of firearms that included rifles modified to fire automatically. Public information officer Tod Goodyear said deputies were surprised by the size of the weapons cache given Horvath’s status as a convicted felon, which prohibits him from possessing guns. How the firearms were obtained remains unknown. Officials said preliminary estimates put the product’s street value at about $4.7 million, but stressed the final inventory and lab results are pending.
Records and prior reporting show Horvath previously served two years of federal probation in 2017 for cases involving explosive devices and drug possession. In this case, authorities say he operated a business called Overseas Organix out of the Palm Bay location and allegedly sold both the drug compound and military-style weapons. Deputies emphasized that the compound at issue is tied to kratom, a plant-based substance sold legally in many forms, but said the concentrated product being pressed into pills is illegal under Florida law. The sheriff said federal officials told him the volume recovered in Palm Bay may set a national record for seizures involving 7-OH.
Investigators said the probe is continuing as local and federal lab testing confirms the contents and potency of the seized material. Prosecutors are expected to file a slate of weapons, explosives and drug charges; the sheriff said federal indictments are being prepared, and that some counts could be enhanced because the suspect is a convicted felon. Officials did not immediately provide a full charge sheet or bond information. They said evidence gathered through undercover purchases and surveillance—along with items recovered during the warehouse raid—will be presented to state and federal prosecutors. No injuries were reported during the operation or the search.
Neighbors described the warehouse area as quiet, with several units appearing vacant. Reporters found the business shuttered Thursday afternoon with the lights off and the door locked. Palm Bay Police Chief Mariano Augello appeared alongside Ivey as boxes of seized material were displayed on pallets. “From what we can tell, this is the largest seizure of this type of substance in the history of the country,” he said. Another resident said he had occasionally seen late-night deliveries but did not think much of it until deputies swarmed the plaza. “You just don’t expect something like this around the corner,” he said.
As of Thursday evening, Horvath remained jailed while detectives cataloged the evidence and awaited test results on the suspected 7-OH. Officials said they plan another update once lab work and charging decisions are complete. A first court appearance is expected in the coming days, with additional federal filings possible next week.
Author note: Last updated December 4, 2025.