Three suspects were arrested in Tampa after an undercover investigation dismantled a synthetic drug operation trafficking 7-hydroxymitragynine, a substance authorities say is 13 times more potent than morphine. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office seized more than 100 tablets containing the synthetic opioid, synthetic cannabinoids, marijuana and more than $11,000 in cash during a March 21 search warrant execution. The investigation began with an anonymous tip on January 28, 2026, leading deputies to conduct undercover purchases of products containing the controlled substance.
Mohammad Al Youssef, 22, Samantha Gerts, 19, and Abdallah Abdel-Kader III, 21, all face multiple charges related to the illegal sale and possession of controlled substances. Deputies purchased products containing 7-hydroxymitragynine and substances that later tested positive for synthetic cannabinoids during the undercover operation. “The investigation remains ongoing,” HCSO officials said.
7-hydroxymitragynine is a powerful opioid-like compound derived from kratom that Florida classified as a controlled substance in August 2025, making it illegal to possess or distribute. The synthetic substance raises concerns about its potential for abuse and overdose due to its extreme potency compared to traditional opioids. Federal health officials have recommended that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration classify the compound as a Schedule I substance, a category reserved for drugs considered highly addictive with no accepted medical use.
The arrests come as Florida grapples with regulatory uncertainty surrounding 7-hydroxymitragynine after the Legislature adjourned on March 13 without solidifying a statewide ban. Attorney General James Uthmeier issued an emergency order that pulled the substance from store shelves, limiting sales of any product containing more than .04% of the compound. However, that temporary prohibition is set to expire on June 30, leaving state agencies scrambling to prevent the product from returning to the market.
Sen. Clay Yarborough of Jacksonville originally sponsored legislation to outlaw 7-hydroxymitragynine but removed the provision during committee negotiations with House members, substituting restrictions on nitrous oxide instead. Republican and Democratic lawmakers had previously united on scheduling similar substances including Nitazenes and Tianeptine after emergency bans were issued by former Attorney General Ashley Moody. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued its own emergency rule this week targeting how 7-hydroxymitragynine products are labeled to better identify and remove products containing the synthetic opioid.
“The updated requirements are meant to protect the public as the state decides the drug’s longterm fate,” FDACS officials said. Like the attorney general’s order, the agency’s emergency rule will only remain in effect for 90 days. The lack of legislative action leaves open questions about how or whether Florida will permanently regulate 7-hydroxymitragynine beyond the temporary emergency measures currently in place.
Uthmeier’s office has not commented on how it plans to respond once the current emergency restriction expires on June 30. The Tampa investigation represents one of the first major enforcement actions against trafficking of the synthetic opioid since Florida classified it as a controlled substance in August 2025.