WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Federal agents in Palm Beach County are sounding the alarm over what they call an unprecedented surge in methamphetamine — one they say is being fueled by the rising cost of cocaine.
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Inside the DEA's West Palm Beach office, federal agents packed up 12 kilos — about 26 pounds — of pure crystal meth, part of a larger haul of about 54 kilos, nearly 120 pounds, pulled off Palm Beach County streets in just two days. One seizure was laced with deadly fentanyl.
Special Agent Kevin Bobbitt said the scale of what agents are seeing is unlike anything he has encountered in South Florida.
"In South Florida, no. I've never seen this," Bobbitt said.
Bobbitt said the surge is tied directly to economics. As cocaine prices are high — with an ounce now selling for $600 to $1,000 — more users are turning to meth as a cheaper alternative. An ounce of meth can cost less than half that, ranging from $280 to $500.
"So, from a pure economic standpoint, it's much cheaper to get your hands on methamphetamine," Bobbitt said.
The problem is not limited to trafficking. Bobbitt said a meth lab was recently busted in Palm Beach County, and the surge is beginning to spread beyond the county's borders.
"We see it up in the counties in the Treasure Coast as well. To this volume, not yet, but I'm sure it's coming," Bobbitt said.
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Jim and Adrienne Tichy run a halfway house called The Lodge at Delray Beach. They have not only witnessed the surge in meth firsthand, but also its devastating consequences.
"Whole new animal with the methamphetamines," Jim Tichy said."They're coming in younger and younger and it's terrible. Each family has a different sorrow story."
According to a 2026 White House report, in some states overdose deaths involving meth have surpassed those from fentanyl.
While federal agents work to disrupt the supply, the Tichys are focused on the other side of the crisis — targeting demand through treatment.
"Our end of it, it comes after treatment, after detox to work with the life skills, the information, the knowledge," Adrienne Tichy said. "Then we gradually let them go into the world, and hopefully with success."
Bobbitt said agents are working aggressively to dismantle the organizations behind the surge.
"We're attacking these organizations everywhere we can," Bobbitt said. "The idea is to drive them out of the location and make it unattractive as a distribution point."
The DEA is urging the public to contact them if they see any suspicious activity they believe could be related to drug trafficking. To report unlawful activities to the agency, call: 1-877-792-2873
If you or someone you know needs assistance transitioning from an addiction detox center back into society, you can call The Lodge at Delray Beach for assistance at 561-945-7560.
Palm Beach County also provides financial assistance to community-based organizations that help with behavioral health and/or substance use disorders. For more information and a list of resources, click here.
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