Atlanta, GA-Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) Commissioner Tyler Harper has announced that on August 8, 2024, agents from GDA's Law Enforcement Division (LED) assisted the Atlanta Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA Atlanta) with the largest crystal methamphetamine seizure in DEA Atlanta’s history. The operation took place at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park, GA.
“This monumental seizure underscores the importance of safeguarding Georgia’s agricultural industry and our state’s food supply from criminal activity - and that’s exactly why we began the process of restoring the Department’s Law Enforcement authority on Day 1,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “We’re incredibly proud to work with DEA Atlanta and many state and local partners who made this operation a success. Together, the State of Georgia is sending a clear message - criminal activity in our state’s ag industry will not be tolerated."
“This is a significant and unbelievable amount of drugs to be shipped at one time and to a destination this far from the border,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “It also shows the confidence of the cartel behind this.”
The operation resulted in the confiscation of 2,585 pounds of crystal methamphetamine, with an estimated wholesale value of $3.2 million. The drugs were concealed among boxes of celery in a truck’s cargo area. In response, GDA agents destroyed the contaminated shipment, while DEA agents arrested the truck driver, Jesus Martinez Martinez.
This successful operation was a joint effort involving multiple agencies: the GDA, DEA, and key state and local partners, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Doraville Police Department, Clayton County Police Department, Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Sandy Springs Police Department, Atlanta Police Department, Flowery Branch Police Department, Georgia State Patrol, and Walton County Sheriff’s Office.
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