Federal agents say a metro Atlanta drug investigation erupted into a major haul this week, with roughly 44 pounds of methamphetamine, two firearms, and three suspects taken into custody after coordinated raids in Douglasville and Fayetteville. A fourth suspect remains on the run. Prosecutors say the case began with undercover buys in Lithia Springs and a March 24 search of a Douglasville home that turned up a large quantity of meth.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, agents recovered about 33 pounds of meth during the Douglasville search and another 11 pounds in a Fayetteville traffic stop. Eduardo Benitez-Jacinto and Sergio Solano-Sanchez were arrested after agents found the drugs in the Douglasville residence, while Jesus Diaz Iniguez was taken into custody following the Fayetteville stop. Authorities say Pablo Soria-Porras, 23, and Benitez-Jacinto allegedly sold two pounds of meth to an undercover DEA agent on Feb. 25 in Lithia Springs; Soria-Porras remains at large.
"The swift prosecutions of these illegal aliens send the strong message," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, said the arrests were aimed at disrupting the flow of methamphetamine and illegal firearms into the community. The three arrested men remain in federal custody after their initial court appearances.
Part of a broader federal push
The U.S. Attorney's Office said the Douglasville and Fayetteville arrests are tied to Operation Take Back America and the Homeland Security Task Force, a nationwide initiative that directs Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security resources to regional task forces, as outlined in a DEA press release. Federal officials have leaned on those task forces to track cartel logistics and follow money and shipments across state lines.
Recent multiagency operations in Georgia included the FBI Atlanta recovery of 719 kilos of meth hidden in shipments of blackberries, according to the FBI. Officials say the size of recent seizures underscores why prosecutors and federal agents are coordinating across jurisdictions rather than treating each bust as a one-off case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer and Daniel Grill are prosecuting the cases, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, and court filings and hearings are expected to move forward in federal court. Authorities are asking anyone with information about Pablo Soria-Porras to contact local law enforcement. The arrests are part of continuing Homeland Security Task Force and OCDETF actions aimed at dismantling transnational trafficking networks operating through the Southeast.
