ATLANTA — Two men have been federally charged after investigators allegedly uncovered nearly 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside refrigerated blackberry shipments during coordinated searches in Atlanta and Hall County last month.
A federal grand jury indicted 44-year-old Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado on Dec. 2 on charges of conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Nelson Enrique Sorto, 36, was charged in a criminal complaint a day earlier with possession with intent to distribute.
Both men are repeat offenders, according to federal prosecutors. Solorio-Alvarado previously served 17 years in federal prison on meth and firearm charges. Sorto is currently on probation for a 2024 meth possession conviction in Hall County.
Surveillance triggers massive drug bust
During a Dec. 3 press conference at the FBI’s Atlanta field office, authorities described how the indictments stem from a multi-agency operation that began Nov. 20. Agents were surveilling a cold-storage warehouse in Fulton County when they observed three refrigerated box trucks parked outside. Investigators followed two of the trucks as they left the facility and traveled to separate locations in southeast Atlanta and Gainesville.
One truck was accompanied by an SUV that officials say Sorto was driving. After the vehicles stopped at a southeast Atlanta home, Sorto opened the rear of the truck and examined its contents. Shortly after midnight, he left in the SUV with two passengers. Georgia State Patrol troopers stopped the vehicle and reportedly found two firearms and several containers of blackberries inside. When agents searched the truck outside the residence, GBI and FBI officials said they uncovered approximately 924 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in pallets of blackberries.
At the same time, another team of federal agents and sheriff’s deputies followed a second truck to a gas station in Gainesville. Prosecutors said Solorio-Alvarado arrived shortly afterward, picked up the truck’s driver, and left the scene. After a K9 alerted to the odor of narcotics, agents searched the abandoned truck and found approximately 661 pounds of meth concealed among more blackberry pallets.
Solorio-Alvarado was arrested later at his Gainesville home after he allegedly tried to flee out the back door. Agents said they found the keys to the truck inside the residence.
In total, authorities recovered 1,585 pounds of meth, making it one of the largest methamphetamine seizures in Georgia in recent years.
Authorities: Shipments linked to Mexico
Investigators believe both blackberry shipments were trafficked into the United States from Mexico and moved through Georgia distribution points. The drugs have an estimated street value of $22.5 million.
Federal and state officials called the case a major blow to cartel-connected drug networks.
“These repeat offenders, including an illegal alien, allegedly attempted to conceal and traffic an enormous quantity of deadly methamphetamine in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We are thankful for the quick action of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who apprehended these individuals and stopped nearly 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine from hitting the streets.”
FBI officials described the seizure as an example of their commitment to stopping traffickers, while GBI Director Chris Hosey said the indictment serves “as a clear message that drug trafficking has no place in our communities.”
Part of national enforcement effort
The cases fall under Operation Take Back America, a nationwide DOJ initiative targeting cartels and transnational criminal organizations. The Homeland Security Task Force is also assisting as agents work to trace the source and distribution network behind the shipments.
Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said the joint operation reflects months of investigative work.
“These arrests and the confiscation of this massive amount of methamphetamine represent a major disruption to the criminals who traffic this dangerous poison in our communities,” Couch said. “I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork displayed by our investigators and our state and federal partners.”
“The FBI will never waver in our commitment to disrupt traffickers and prevent their dangerous drugs from reaching our streets, no matter where they try to hide them,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Thanks to the quick response and dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners, these repeat offenders will be held responsible for their crimes.”
