6 Admit Guilt In GA Drug Labs With 500+ Pounds Of Meth: DEA

MILTON, GA — The last of six defendants who operated a clandestine methamphetamine laboratory in north Fulton County has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. A Department of Justice news release said this wraps up a months-long investigation that led to the seizure of more than a quarter-ton of methamphetamine from several residences in the Atlanta suburbs.

A Mexico-based drug-trafficking and money-laundering organization led locally by Fredrico Pacheco-Romero, 27, of Mexico, and Carlos Martinez, 24, of Morrow, Georgia, used homes in Milton and Ellenwood, Georgia, to convert large quantities of liquid methamphetamine into crystal methamphetamine. Agents learned in early February 2019 that a shipment of liquid methamphetamine was destined for the Atlanta area.

On Feb. 9, 2019, DEA agents obtained warrants to search a half-dozen properties utilized by the organization and the defendants, the Department of Justice said. Those searches revealed an active methamphetamine conversion laboratory, 400 pounds of liquid methamphetamine, 125 pounds of crystalized or partially crystalized methamphetamine, hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, and multiple cell phones, drug ledgers, and firearms.

“Mexican cartels push methamphetamine and other drugs in our district without any regard for the lives that they ruin along the way,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “In close coordination with our federal, state, and local partners, we are committed to stopping the flow of drugs across the border, and their distribution in our community. The discovery and dismantling of a methamphetamine lab of this magnitude is a great win in that battle.”

Each of the six defendants pleaded guilty to participating in a drug-trafficking conspiracy. The defendants will appear before U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May for sentencing, including:

• Victor Manuel Sanchez, 21, of Mexico is scheduled for Jan. 27
• Jorge Mendoza-Perez, 50, of Mexico is scheduled for February 3

• Fredrico Pacheco-Romero, 27, of Mexico is scheduled for Feb. 24
• Carlos Martinez, 24, of Morrow, Georgia is scheduled for Feb. 25
• Eduardo Lopez, 26, of Mexico is scheduled for March 2
• Santana Cardenas, 41, of Mexico is scheduled for March 25

Robert J. Murphy, special agent in charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, said "drug trafficking knows no boundaries and is driven by greed and power."

"These guilty pleas should serve as a reminder to drug traffickers that DEA and its law enforcement partners will expend the necessary resources to dismantle, disrupt and destroy those who distribute poison throughout our communities," Murphy said.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office, the Cartersville Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, and SWAT teams from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office, the Henry County Police Department, and the DeKalb County Police Department.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs online.