SerpApi.Org
Three suspects are facing federal charges after investigators seized nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamine from a vehicle and an apartment in metro Atlanta.
According to the Department of Justice, the investigation began in April after Juan Rueda-Palacios and Lourdes Prudente Blanco drove from Ellenwood to a shopping center in Brookhaven.
Investigators say the pair abandoned a vehicle containing about 130 pounds of methamphetamine.
Authorities say agents later searched an apartment in Sandy Springs, where they found another 350 pounds of methamphetamine along with drug trafficking evidence.
“These charges reflect the commitment of my office and our law enforcement partners to dismantle large scale drug trafficking operations that endanger our community,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said. “If you choose to traffic dangerous drugs in our community, we will investigate, arrest, and prosecute you.”
Rueda-Palacios, Prudente and 34-year-old Alan Hernandez of Marietta appeared in federal court Monday on a criminal complaint charging them with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Federal prosecutors also charged Rueda-Palacios with illegally reentering the United States after investigators say he was deported in 2013.
