Marco Cueto-Rosales, a Mexican national, has been arraigned following the seizure of 325 pounds of methamphetamine from a storage unit in Norcross, Georgia. The incident took place on October 10, 2025, when agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) observed Cueto-Rosales entering an outdoor storage unit and moving items in plastic bins and trash bags.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated, “Cueto-Rosales, who was illegally in the United States, allegedly hid a large amount of methamphetamine in a public storage unit. Although the Mexican cartels stockpile and peddle their poison in our community, the quick actions of law enforcement thankfully took these deadly drugs off the streets.”
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, commented on the broader impact: “This operation is about more than drugs – it’s about protecting families and giving our communities a chance to live free from the violence and addiction that meth brings.”
According to court information presented by U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, after DEA agents witnessed suspicious activity at the storage facility, a Gwinnett County Police Department K9 detected narcotics odors coming from the unit. Agents then obtained a federal search warrant and discovered nearly 1,500 packages of methamphetamine weighing 325 pounds inside trash bags and bins.
Cueto-Rosales was detained prior to the search and determined to be unlawfully present in the United States. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 28, 2025. Charges include conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The defendant appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon for arraignment. Authorities remind that an indictment contains only charges; Cueto-Rosales is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt at trial.
The investigation involved cooperation between the DEA and Gwinnett County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. LaGrone is prosecuting.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative led by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration as well as dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations through coordinated efforts such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
For more information about drug dangers for parents and children, resources are available at www.justthinktwice.gov.
Further details can be found via http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga or by contacting the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.
