Two men are in federal custody following back-to-back drug busts in metro Atlanta that netted five kilograms of fentanyl, enough of the lethal synthetic opioid to potentially kill millions.
The arrests are the result of an intensive investigation by the DEA, alongside Gwinnett and DeKalb County police, as part of a nationwide initiative dubbed “Operation Take Back America.” Osiel Adame-Gomez, 27, of Loganville, and Miguel Velazquez-Garcia, 26, of Atlanta, both face federal charges for possession with intent to distribute, according to a press release.
The first bust occurred on Feb. 5 after DEA agents tracked a rented moving truck to a Doraville warehouse. According to court documents, agents observed Adame-Gomez moving a backpack between a truck and a storage facility. After a brief chase that ended in Dunwoody, agents searched the storage unit and found a kilogram of fentanyl valued at $30,000.
Four days later, DeKalb County police stopped Velazquez-Garcia in Stone Mountain. A K9 unit alerted officers to the vehicle, where they discovered another kilogram of the drug. Subsequent searches of homes in Stone Mountain and Stonecrest revealed three additional kilograms of fentanyl and a significant amount of cash.
These cases are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the Gwinnett County Police Department and the DeKalb County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Johnny Baer, Jamie Bircoll, and John DeGenova are prosecuting the cases.
