A Duluth man has been sentenced to federal prison after a jury found him guilty of trafficking significant quantities of methamphetamine in the Atlanta metro area. Jorge Rodriguez-Martinez, aged 56, was handed a 10-year prison term on Friday for each charge, which will run concurrently, and will be followed by four years of supervised release.
"Methamphetamine traffickers pose a grave threat to our communities and peddle these dangerous drugs in total disregard of the lives they place at risk," U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said, according to a statement released by the Department of Justice. The coordinated efforts of federal and state partners have been paramount in procuring Rodriguez-Martinez's conviction and securing his sentence.
The case unfolded when, on October 7, 2020, a confidential source, in collaboration with DEA agents, made several phone calls recorded by law enforcement, engaging Rodriguez-Martinez in the purchase of multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. Surveillance followed, leading to the exchange of vehicles and further communication, detailing the location of the drugs.
Shortly after, Rodriguez-Martinez was stopped by the Georgia State Patrol after retrieving the drugs, resulting in the discovery of approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine in his vehicle. He was convicted on April 25, 2024, on charges of conspiracy to possess and intent to distribute methamphetamine, as well as possession with the intent to distribute. The DEA and the Atlanta Carolinas HIDTA Task Force investigated the case, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney McClellon D. Cox, III, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sandra E. Strippoli prosecuting. The statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office also encourages the public to learn more about the risks of drugs at www.justthinktwice.gov.
