In a substantial drug trafficking case, Victor Uriel Diego Estrada, a 31-year-old from Michoacan, Mexico, has been sentenced to serve a solid 25 years in the federal penitentiary after pleading guilty to charges related to methamphetamine distribution. According to U.S. Attorney's Office, U.S. District Judge Tilman E. "Tripp" Self, III handed down the sentence on Monday, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The plea came after charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute were entered last December.
The case revealed the reach of Estrada’s operations, in which he "produced and distributed a massive amount of methamphetamine and deadly quantities of a potentially lethal fentanyl mixture," U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary stated. Estrada's sentencing reflects the combined efforts of the DEA and local authorities to combat the affliction of narcotics in communities in the Middle District of Georgia, as stated in the news release.
Throughout the investigation, DEA agents uncovered evidence of Estrada’s involvement in drug trafficking, after a confidential source, tied to a Mexico-based narcotics broker, purchased one kilogram of methamphetamine from Estrada in Norcross, Georgia. Following the purchase, produced a trail of Estrada's movements, including his procurement of hard chest coolers, items frequently utilized in meth labs.
On Nov. 14, 2023, a DEA raid at Estrada's residence in Walton County uncovered more than 21 kilograms of high-purity methamphetamine and equipment associated with drug manufacturing and distribution. The DEA's extensive investigation into Estrada's communications revealed discussions about methamphetamine production, highlighting a network of labs. This included a search in Forest Park, Georgia, where approximately 180 kilograms of meth and four kilograms of a cocaine-fentanyl mixture were found, along with a loaded 9mm handgun, as described by the U.S. Attorney's Office.