Five Mexican nationals have been charged in federal court after law enforcement seized over 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine from locations in DeKalb County, Georgia. The defendants—Wilber Castellanos Villazana, Yamilet Calixto Sotelo, Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez, and Damien Gomez-Guijarro—are accused of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Four of the five are reportedly in the United States illegally.
Authorities allege that one of the primary traffickers was working on behalf of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a criminal organization identified as a major threat by U.S. officials.
“Within just a few days, undercover investigations in the metro Atlanta area led to the seizure of more than half a ton of methamphetamine, the arrests of four illegal aliens allegedly responsible for distributing those deadly drugs, and the disruption of two drug trafficking rings,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “My office will continue to proudly partner with federal, state, and local crimefighters to protect the public and eliminate the scourge of drug trafficking.”
“The CJNG cartel is a significant threat to public safety, public health, and the national security of the United States,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “DEA will target every level of their supply chain to disrupt and destroy their networks.”
According to information presented in court documents:
On September 15, 2025, Wilber Castellanos Villazana allegedly sold one kilogram of methamphetamine to an undercover agent at an apartment complex in DeKalb County before making additional sales from his vehicle.
The following day, agents observed Castellanos Villazana along with Jorge Lorenzo Manzanarez and Yamilet Calixto Sotelo moving large trash bags into a car outside an apartment at that same complex. Law enforcement arrested them shortly afterward; searches uncovered approximately 22 kilograms of methamphetamine in their vehicle’s trunk and about 309 kilograms inside their apartment.
On September 17th, Esteban Jacobo-Suarez and Damien Gomez-Guijarro allegedly sold another kilogram to an undercover agent at a gas station near Stone Mountain before returning to a nearby residence.
The next day during another planned transaction with agents watching closely, police stopped Jacobo-Suarez and Gomez-Guijarro after they placed another bag into their car en route to meet for another deal. Searches found about 10 kilograms in their car as well as roughly 131 kilograms inside their residence along with one firearm and $12,000 cash.
All five individuals were formally charged on September 19th with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine via federal complaints; four are alleged illegal aliens while Jacobo-Suarez has reportedly been deported twice previously.
Prosecutors remind that these charges are allegations only; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt at trial.
This investigation involved cooperation between multiple agencies including Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Atlanta-Carolinas High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), DeKalb County Police Department and Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Herskowitz is prosecuting these cases.
The case falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by Department of Justice aimed at countering illegal immigration-related crime and dismantling transnational criminal organizations through combined resources such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs.
For more information about drug dangers for parents or children visit www.justthinktwice.gov.
Further details can be obtained from U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office or by visiting http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
