A Marietta man faces federal drug trafficking charges after agents seized nearly 500 pounds of methamphetamine in a series of operations across metro Atlanta, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia announced Tuesday, July 21.

Alan Hernandez of Marietta, along with Juan Rueda-Palacios and Lourdes Prudente Blanco, both Mexican nationals, appeared in federal court Monday, July 20, on charges of conspiracy to possess and distribute methamphetamine. The U.S. Attorney's Office said the drugs were recovered from a vehicle in Brookhaven and an apartment in Sandy Springs, with 130 pounds found in the vehicle and approximately 250 pounds found in the apartment.

The investigation

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Rueda-Palacios and Prudente Blanco drove from Ellenwood to a Brookhaven shopping center, where they abandoned a vehicle containing 130 pounds of methamphetamine. Federal agents watched as Hernandez retrieved the drugs from the vehicle later the same day.

Rueda-Palacios and Prudente Blanco were arrested Wednesday, July 15, after agents searched their Sandy Springs apartment. Inside, agents found approximately 250 pounds of methamphetamine and a Mexican passport belonging to Rueda-Palacios, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Neither Rueda-Palacios nor Prudente Blanco had authorization to be in the United States, according to federal officials. The Justice Department said Rueda-Palacios had previously been deported in 2013. He faces an additional charge of illegally reentering the country.

Multi-agency case

The investigation involved multiple federal agencies, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Barrow County Sheriff's Office, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The operation spanned several metro Atlanta counties, including Cobb (Marietta), DeKalb (Brookhaven), Fulton (Sandy Springs), and Henry (Ellenwood).

"If you choose to traffic dangerous drugs in our community, we will investigate, arrest, and prosecute you," U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement announcing the charges.

What's next

All three defendants remain in federal custody. No arraignment or trial dates have been set. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.