15 people charged in DC drug bust for transnational meth and GBL trafficking ring

Fifteen people are facing charges connected to a transnational drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine and gamma-butyrolactone throughout the East Coast.

Jeanine Pirro, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, issued the 12-count indictment on Wednesday, the day after four accused traffickers were detained and search warrants were executed in D.C. and Pennsylvania.

Officials identified the four men as Joseph Macias, 47; Jason Frasher, 52; and Peter Rothberg, 42, all of D.C.; and Rassoul Martin-Wilson, aka “Duce” and “Deuce,” 40, of Philadelphia.

An additional 11 defendants were charged and arrested in late April and early May, with eight remaining detained.

“Since my appointment as U.S. Attorney, my office, alongside the Homeland Security Task Force, has seized more than 1,800 pounds of meth,” Pirro stated in a statement. “To those flooding our communities with deadly drugs: we will find you, dismantle your operation, and put you behind bars.”

According to the US Attorney’s Office, during Tuesday’s takedown operation, law enforcement discovered around 13 pounds of methamphetamine, 1.5 pounds of GBL, ecstasy pills, and other narcotics, as well as more than $16,000 in cash. Throughout the investigation, slightly under 200 pounds of methamphetamine, over 1,700 pounds of GBL, and more than 125 pounds of ketamine were seized.

While the methamphetamine was apparently sourced from California, the GBL originated in South Korea, and the United States collaborated with South Korean law enforcement to break the supply chain, resulting in the arrest of five South Korean citizens. According to the US Attorney’s Office, approximately 1.5 metric tons of GBL were recovered in September 2025, making it South Korea’s largest domestic seizure of a controlled narcotic ever recorded.

According to court filings, the four most recent arrestees were charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine and 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine, among other narcotics crimes.

Martin-Wilson was ordered on Tuesday to be detained in Pennsylvania until trial. The three D.C. defendants—Macias, Frasher, and Rothberg—are scheduled to make their first appearances on Wednesday, according to the US Attorney’s Office.

“These were, relatively speaking, well-educated individuals trafficking massive amounts of dangerous narcotics in our nation’s capital,” Pirro said during a press conference on Wednesday.

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