More than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine were seized in a significant DeKalb County drug bust, believed to be linked to the Mexican cartel known as the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, federal agents conducted the operation over the course of three days, uncovering one of the metro area's largest methamphetamine hauls in recent years from two stash houses.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proudly announced the arrests of five people associated with the CJNG cartel. The individuals, identified as Wilber Castellanos Villazana, Yamilet Calixto Sotelo, Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez, and Damien Gomez-Guijarro, were charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. As reported by Atlanta News First, four of the suspects were in the United States illegally, with Jacobo-Suarez noted as a "twice-deported" man from Mexico.
In the initial raid, a total of 700 pounds of meth were seized, followed by a second seizure of 300 pounds just a few miles away. The DEA expressed concerns over the use of families and children by cartel members as a cover to blend more seamlessly into neighborhoods. "They send the family on purpose. The cartels aren’t stupid. They want them to blend in. So you see them as your neighbors and you see the kids playing out front. They’re not calling attention to themselves," Robert Murphy, special agent in charge of the DEA's Atlanta Division, told FOX 5 Atlanta.
Officials have estimated the street value of the seized drugs to be approximately $5 million. Undercover operations leading up to the bust also involved the sale of meth to DEA agents at an apartment complex in DeKalb County on two separate occasions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia stated, “Within just a few days, undercover investigations in the metro Atlanta area led to the seizure of more than half a ton of methamphetamine, the arrests of four illegal aliens allegedly responsible for distributing those deadly drugs, and the disruption of two drug trafficking rings,” according to an interview with Atlanta News First.
While the operation dealt a significant blow to the CJNG's activities in the area, federal officials acknowledge that this will not halt the cartel's operations completely. They have urged residents to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity. The charges against all suspects remain as possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and they are currently held in federal custody.
