ATLANTA, Ga. (WANF/Gray News) – Two men are in federal custody after a massive drug bust in Georgia uncovered hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine concealed in boxes of cucumbers inside a tractor-trailer, officials announced.
Andres Jasso Jr. and Rufino Pineda Perez have been charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, a charge that carries a potential sentence of 10 years to life in prison without parole.
“The methamphetamine was concealed in boxes of cucumbers inside a tractor-trailer,” said U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia Theodore Hertzberg.
Drug Enforcement Administration officials said authorities acted on intelligence that led them to the Gainesville area, where they conducted a traffic stop and discovered the narcotics.
Perez, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, faces additional charges for unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being deported twice, officials said.
“It is not uncommon for drug trafficking organizations to use vegetables to conceal illicit drugs. We’ve seen this many times before,” said Jae Chung, Acting Special Agent with the DEA in Atlanta.
The seized methamphetamine is estimated to have a street value of approximately $4.5 million. Investigators believe the drugs are linked to cartel operations.
“We believe this partial load is attributed to either the Sinaloa Cartel or the CJNG, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel,” Chung said.
Law enforcement agencies have intensified efforts in Georgia to combat drug cartels and narcotics trafficking. The bust was carried out by members of Atlanta’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), one of 30 such units nationwide established following President Donald Trump’s Jan. 20 executive order on border security.
A proposed federal funding bill currently before the U.S. House of Representatives could allocate as much as $12 billion to support such task forces and related operations through 2029.
“We do expect the administration and Congress to support this initiative. It’s critically important to our community. It’s already showing results,” said Hertzberg.
The bill includes $10 billion for the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen border security and an additional $2 billion for programs targeting criminal gangs and transnational crime.
Both suspects remain in federal custody as the investigation continues.
