A Ripplemead, Virginia man was arrested on April 9 on federal charges of attempting to possess with intent to distribute dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and distributing lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
The case involves serious allegations about the importation and distribution of powerful psychedelic substances. These drugs are known for their strong psychoactive effects and are illegal under federal law.
According to a federal criminal complaint, Charles Herman Aardema III, age 28, was apprehended after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Miami international mail facility examined a suspicious parcel in September 2021. The package was addressed to Aardema’s home in Ripplemead and shipped from Brazil by an individual named Raul Wictor Silva Batista. Inside, authorities found more than 11 kilograms of reddish powder that chemical analysis confirmed contained DMT.
Further investigation revealed that between November 2020 and April 2021, four other parcels containing approximately 20 kilograms of DMT powder were intercepted en route to Aardema. During a search of his home in October 2021, Aardema told law enforcement he ordered DMT because he was “really into tie-dying,” though no tie-dye equipment or T-shirts were found at his residence.
Aardema admitted receiving packages of Mimosa hostilis powder from Brazil and reshipping it across the United States as directed by Batista. He estimated shipping up to eleven kilograms to six people nationwide. While still under state bond conditions in March and April 2025, Blacksburg Police arranged several controlled purchases of LSD and DMT from Aardema on the campus of Virginia Tech.
The investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations; Giles County Sheriff’s Office; Pearisburg Police Department; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and Blacksburg Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office acknowledged assistance from Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ Offices for Giles County and Montgomery County.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and HSI Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf made the announcement about the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Inman is prosecuting the case.
Authorities remind that a criminal complaint is merely an accusation, stating: “The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”
