TITUSVILLE, Fla. (WJW) — “This thing looked like ‘Breaking Bad’ on steroids.”
That’s how the sheriff in Brevard County, Florida, described a massive bust of drugs and military-grade weapons in Florida.
According to the sheriff, Maxwell Horvath, 26, is in custody.
In addition to 92,000 pounds of illegal substances, Horvath had five improvised explosive devices, 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 50 pounds of precursor chemicals to make explosives, the sheriff said.
“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,” said Palm Bay Police Chief Mariano Augello in a news conference.
The investigation started in September, when Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey said agents purchased illegal substances derived from kratom, which contained a concentration of 7-hydroxymitragynine, aka 7-OH.
During the sale, Horvath gave agents a tour of his business.
“He’s proud of his business,” Ivey said in a video posted to Facebook. “This thing looked like ‘Breaking Bad’ on steroids.”
So how much is 92,000 pounds of drugs worth?
The sheriff’s office said the drugs have a street value of $4.7 million.
Horvath was a felon who had previously been convicted for drug trafficking, the sheriff said.
Horvath faces 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, with more charges to come for explosive devices, according to Ivey.