KEYSTONE HEIGHTS, FL – An investigation ended with a rare DMT lab shut down and a Clay County man facing multiple charges. The investigation began with two border seizures of Mescaline by Homeland Security Investigations. Mescaline is a Schedule I narcotic with hallucinogenic effects. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office serves on a task force with HSI, and we became involved when it was discovered that the intercepted shipments were scheduled for delivery to a home on Deer Springs Road in Keystone Heights.
On March 19 our detectives went to that home as part of the investigation. While they were there, they discovered a DMT extraction lab inside a shed on the property. Dimethyltryptamine (DYE-METH-AL-TRIP-TAH-MEEN) is a hallucinogenic drug similar to LSD and this lab was used to produce the drug. DMT labs are rare, and dangerous for those producing the drug, the community, and for investigating officers and detectives.
Detectives also found chemicals that can be used to create other psychedelic drugs, five guns, roughly 2,000 rounds of ammunition, and objects and chemicals that could be used to build destructive or explosive devices. As a result of this investigation, our members arrested Cody Michael Clifford. He’s facing multiple felony and misdemeanor charges including Possession of LSD, Felony Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Hashish, and Cultivation of Marijuana. We found numerous other substances that were sent for testing, so more charges could be pending.
Our detectives, agents from Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives worked together to investigate this laboratory and clean up hazardous chemicals that were located. This case is an example of the strong relationship we have with our federal partners. By working together, we are able to concentrate additional resources and expertise to better serve the residents of Clay County. Sheriff Michelle Cook said, “I’m proud of the work the men and women of the CCSO do every day, and I’m grateful for our federal partners who worked on this case.”
