A self-described “spiritual retreat” in Casco sued multiple federal agencies on Tuesday, May 19, over alleged interference with its religious practices, which include the use of ayahuasca.

The suit targets acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, acting DEA Administrator Terrance Cole, and acting Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection Rodney Scott.

The retreat, Pachamama Sanctuary, was founded in New Hampshire in 2019 by Derek Januszewski. The sanctuary is centered on the ritual consumption of ayahuasca, a traditional South American brew containing trace amounts of dimethyltryptamine, a Schedule I substance under U.S. law. The sanctuary relocated to Maine in 2024, and registered as a nonprofit independent church with the Maine secretory of state in January 2025.

The suit alleges that, between 2020 and 2022, DHS agents unlawfully seized packages containing plant components meant for the brewing of ayahuasca at the sanctuary, and that the department has not allowed the sanctuary to assert its rights to the materials under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the First Amendment.

The suit also alleges that DEA agents visited Jaruszelski on two occasions between 2021 and 2023 to speak with him about the seized packages.

Pachamama Sanctuary argues the ceremonial consumption of ayahuasca constitutes a sincere religious practice under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the actions of the federal government amount to a violation of its First and Fifth Amendment rights.

The DOJ did not respond to a request for comment.