Authorities in Florida say a months-long investigation came to a head with a discovery so extreme that seasoned law enforcement officials compared it to a Hollywood crime saga brought to life.
According to Fox News, the case centers on 26-year-old Maxwell Horvath, who is now facing a growing list of charges after deputies uncovered a sprawling drug and weapons operation they say he built and ran with confidence — and without any regard for the law.
Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said the probe began in September, when undercover agents purchased illegal substances derived from kratom.
The product allegedly contained elevated levels of 7-hydroxymitragynine, known as 7-OH, which sent up immediate red flags.
During one of those exchanges, Ivey said Horvath didn’t hesitate to show off his setup.
“He’s proud of his business,” Ivey said in a video posted to Facebook. “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.”
Investigators say Horvath appeared convinced he had found a loophole by selling products online or shipping them out of state.
“Horvath knows it’s illegal but thinks he’s circumventing the system,” Ivey said. “He thinks that because you go there and make a purchase, or you make a purchase online, and he ships it out of the state of Florida, he is not violating the law. Well, trick or treat, he is.”
When authorities raided the Overseas Organics facility, what they found exceeded every expectation.
Roughly 92,000 pounds of illegal substances were seized — a haul officials valued at about $4.7 million.
The search also turned up an arsenal that included five IEDs, 12 rifles, 17 pistols, three shotguns, two fully automatic submachine guns, a short-barreled rifle and revolver, three suppressors, thousands of rounds of ammunition, grenade simulators and fifty pounds of precursor chemicals used to make explosives.
“We’re not just talking about drugs,” said Palm Bay Police Chief Mariano Augello. “We’re talking about explosive devices, things that the military are utilizing and other countries are utilizing all over the world, to take out populations of people.”
Ivey called the bust the largest of its kind in the nation.
“This is what danger looks like right here,” he said. “Everything that you see … is a red flag for disaster. … The guy was making his own suppressors, fully automatic weapons, explosive devices. This guy was either looking to engage in war or looking to arm and furnish to those that are. [He] even had a 50 cal on a tripod ready to do serious damage.”
Horvath has been charged with 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. More charges are expected.
His criminal history stretches back to age 17, when federal authorities first arrested him. He previously served two years in prison and two years of federal probation for possession of an explosive device and MDMA trafficking.
“[At] 26 years old, [he is] already pretty much a career offender,” Augello said. “He has no regard for the sanctity of life.”
