An unlawful immigrant from Mexico who beforehand served practically twenty years in federal jail, was indicted Tuesday after allegedly conspiring to maneuver tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in methamphetamine within the Atlanta space, main authorities to grab practically 1,600 kilos of the stimulant drug hidden in blackberry shipments.
Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, 44, of Mexico, was charged with conspiracy and possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
He beforehand served 17 years in jail after being convicted of felony possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a gun in a drug trafficking crime.
His alleged confederate, Nelson Enrique Sorto, 36, of Atlanta, was charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
He’s presently on probation after being convicted in 2024 of felony possession of methamphetamine.
Whereas staking out a chilly storage warehouse in Fulton County on Nov. 20, federal brokers and Corridor County sheriff’s deputies noticed three refrigerated field vans parked outdoors.
They adopted one of many vans to a gasoline station in Gainesville and watched as Solorio-Alvarado picked up the driving force and left the deserted field truck on the gasoline station, in keeping with officers.
After a Okay-9 alerted officers to the odor of narcotics, brokers searched the truck and recovered about 661 kilos of methamphetamine hidden amongst pallets of blackberries.
Solorio-Alvarado was later arrested whereas making an attempt to flee out of the again of his Gainesville house, in keeping with authorities. Inside the home, deputies discovered keys to the deserted truck.
On the similar time, one other workforce of brokers adopted a second field truck because it traveled in tandem with an SUV, allegedly pushed by Sorto, to a house in southeast Atlanta.
Shortly after midnight, Sorto left within the SUV with two passengers, and Georgia State Patrol troopers stopped them, discovering two weapons and a number of other containers of blackberries within the SUV, officers stated.
Throughout a subsequent search of the field truck parked outdoors the Atlanta house, Georgia Bureau of Investigation brokers, assisted by the FBI, recovered about 924 kilos of methamphetamine hid in pallets of blackberries.
Mixed, the 2 seizures amounted to 1,585 kilos of methamphetamine.
Throughout a information convention Wednesday, US Lawyer Theodore Hertzberg stated the 2 seizures amounted to 1,585 kilos of methamphetamine, price tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}.
“Solorio-Alvarado was convicted in federal courtroom for drug trafficking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and he served practically twenty years in federal jail for these offenses.
He was then, and he stays, an unlawful alien, unlawfully current in america,” Hertzberg stated.
“We’ve seen the cartels function this manner earlier than. … Now we have seen huge methamphetamine seizures of medication that had been smuggled in with cucumbers, celery or jalapeño peppers. And now … blackberries.”
Each males stay in state custody however will likely be transferred to the US Marshals Service.
After showing in federal courtroom, Hertzberg stated his workplace will transfer for them to be held with out bail till their circumstances have been resolved.
Solorio-Alvarado faces at the least 15 years in jail due to his legal historical past, and Sorto faces at the least 10 years in jail. The utmost sentences are life in jail with out parole.
The prosecutions arealsopart of the Homeland Safety Job Power (HSTF) initiative established by President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 govt order “Defending the American Individuals In opposition to Invasion.”
