REPLAY: Homeland Security Task Force Announces Cartel-Linked Drug Trafficking Cases, Over 200 Kilos of Drugs Seized

Good morning. I want to start by thanking all you members of the media who joined us here this morning. I'm Will Keys. I'm the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia. And one year ago, we gathered at FBI Atlanta to announce our effort with Homeland Security Task Force to combat transnational organized crime here in Georgia. This is an effort that's taking place across the country. And it is a joint effort. I'm joined here by Marlo Graham, the special agent in charge of FBI Atlanta, John Gaudioso, the acting deputy special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta, and Harold Hurley, the resident agent in charge with DEA here in Macon. And we're here to announce the results of that Homeland Security Task Force effort here a year later after we kicked that off. And so I'm going to start by highlighting a case against Mr. Josue Cerda. His sentencing took place just right across the street at the federal courthouse here in Macon. Yesterday is an Athens-based case, and Mr. Cerda was sentenced to life in prison with no parole. Mr. Cerda was convicted at trial of multiple counts related to drug trafficking and the illegal possession of weapons. He was transporting massive amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl for CJNG cartel. He was held accountable at trial for 50 kilograms of meth and 7 kilograms of fentanyl. However, those quantities are just the tip of the iceberg of what this man was responsible for. Now, a life sentence is a very serious thing, and so allow me to highlight a couple facts about Mr. Cerda and why he's particularly worthy of this severe sentence. This is a man who, as I mentioned, was transporting fentanyl by the kilogram for CJNG cartel in the Athens area, CJNG being one of the most powerful Mexican cartels. This is a man who was moving these kilograms of fentanyl, at times moving the fentanyl with his toddler present in the room while he did the deal. This is a man who sent a message, and in that message, this was used actually in court, the message he acknowledges that the fentanyl he was moving kills people, but said that the money was just too good. This is a man who was previously convicted of threatening to have his cartel cut up the family of a law enforcement officer. And this man in this case threatened law enforcement, physical assault, was caught on video, was played in his trial. And while he made the threat to law enforcement and it was played in the courtroom, he laughed. And I can assure you there is nothing funny about his life sentence now. Thankfully, he's being held accountable for his evil acts and thanks to this joint effort with law enforcement, he can no longer terrorize our community, the state of Georgia or the country. You'll see some of Mr. Cerda's evidence used his arsenal right over here to my right. And I'm now going to turn your attention to Mr. Orlando Muckle aka Lando. So this is a separate Homeland Security Task Force case, another hearing that took place yesterday in the courtroom, and another sentence that was handed out. This man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, no parole. He was transporting massive amounts of cocaine for the Gulf Cartel, also known as CDG, the acronym. This is a designated foreign terrorist organization. He was caught in this case with 26 kilograms of cocaine. He was held accountable for that with his 30-year sentence, but that sentence really represents more. It is his career of crime, his multiple convictions for distributing before being caught up in this investigation and receiving that 30-year sentence. You can see Mr. Muckle's evidence over here to my left. Now, right in front of you, these 100 kilograms plus of methamphetamine and firearms, this relates to the attention of Raul Mondragon. I'd like to tell you a little bit about that case. So just yesterday as well, we had a court hearing in Mr. Mondragon's case. This is a man who's alleged to be legally present in the United States. He was arraigned yesterday. He entered a plea of not guilty and he faces multiple charges related to the drugs sitting on that table and related to the weapons and weapons that he is alleged to have been possessing. He's alleged to possess with intent to distribute over these 100 kilograms of meth and alleged to be distributing these drugs on behalf of the cartel here in Georgia. And so while this case is early in its Process moving through our court system. It does demonstrate that this is ongoing. This is an ongoing effort that we're all working together here in the Middle District of Georgia to bring justice to these organizations influencing the landscape here in Georgia. And so what do I want the public to know? I want the public to know first how lucky we are to have these law enforcement officers in Georgia doing this work. Based off the facts that I just told you, I can assure you these are very dangerous cases. This is a dangerous line of work that they are in. But I can tell you it was hundreds of law enforcement officers involved. And I was present during some of this and saw parking lots full of law enforcement officers working together to make sure we can seize this methamphetamine and these guns and fentanyl off the streets. I want to specifically recognize Assistant United States Attorney Mike Morrison and FBI Special Agent Jamie Hipkus. These men have worked tirelessly for years to work on these cases, to get this off the streets, to protect our communities. Their work is saving lives. But of course, this is a team effort. I want to say a big thank you to Athens-Clarke County Police Department. I want to thank DEA. You'll hear from HSI. You'll hear from FBI. But, you know, these are This is a joint effort. You don't take down defendants like this and take things like this off the street unless we're all working together. And so the other thing I want the public to know is that these cases will continue to be prioritized. The Middle District of Georgia is not a good place to be engaged in this criminal activity. We are not going to take our foot off the gas. Our office and our partners in law enforcement at all levels, federal, state and local law enforcement are 100% dedicated to this effort. We will not stop. I'll now turn things over to FBI Special Agent in Atlanta, in charge, Marlin Thank you all for being here today. I am very proud to stand with our law enforcement partners and display the amazing efforts of our Homeland Security Task Force. Getting these men and their dangerous drugs that they put off put into our communities and keeping them off the street has been a major milestone in the efforts of our Homeland Security Task Force. This is not only keeping the local city of Athens safe, but it is keeping everyone safe across the state of Georgia. All of the cases we are talking about today, they are really, really driven by our Homeland Security Task Force, which is designed to dismantle foreign terrorist organizations. Thank you. And we will do that by investigating the cartels, the drug trafficking networks, and the gangs that support them. Most of the time, these groups are involved in a host of other crimes to include kidnappings, murder, money laundering, weapons trafficking, some of the evidence you see here today. And a host of other crimes. The defendant, Jose Suerta, is a perfect example of the danger living among us. You heard Mr. Keyes talk about him being in the presence of a baby. Just look at the picture that is displayed here. This individual is pointing a gun just right over the head of a sleeping baby. This is not the type of individual that we would like to have living in our community. Today's cases, they highlight just a part of our Homeland Security Task Force and what it's done since its formation. In the last 13 months, our Homeland Security Task Force, which covers the state of Georgia and Alabama, has arrested 354 people, seized more than 10,000 kilos of cocaine, 143 kilos of fentanyl, and 1,600 kilos of methamphetamine. We have also taken 447 firearms, off the streets and out of the hands of criminals just like the gun you just saw Jose holding. In closing, I wanted to be clear that this is a whole of community approach as well as a whole of government approach. We are keeping our foot on the gas and we will not stop until we dismantle these organizations. These cases have a significant impact in the community and the way in which we are going to work to keep it safe. We stand here unified and focused, driving out these dangerous cartels, the men and women who supply them, and we promise to do everything in our power to continue to keep our community safe because they are our communities as well. Thank you all. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is John Gaudioso. I'm the acting deputy special agent in charge for the The HSI Atlanta field office. The Homeland Security Task Force is grounded in a fundamental principle. Public safety is strongest when law enforcement partners work in close coordination to protect the communities they serve. This is the very reason why the Homeland Security Task Force was created and why it is so important. Federal, state, and local law enforcement each bring distinct expertise, authorities, and resources. And we share one mission, protecting the public and holding accountable those who threaten our communities. Transnational criminal organizations do not respect city, state, county or national borders. They profit from bringing dangerous drugs and firearms into our neighborhoods and the damage they cause is felt far beyond a single investigation. It affects families mourning loved ones, first responders confronting dangerous situations and communities working to keep their children safe. Today's announcement demonstrates what law enforcement partnerships can accomplish when working together. When agencies share information, coordinate their efforts, and act with a common purpose, we are best positioned to disrupt criminal networks, seize dangerous drugs and weapons, and prevent further harm. These cases should serve as a reminder that public safety is a shared responsibility. The men and women represented here are committed to pursuing those who exploit our communities for profit and bring them to justice. In closing, I would like to thank the I'd like to thank the U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Georgia, Will Keyes. and the dedicated personnel of the U.S. Attorney's Office for their leadership and steadfast partnership in this effort. I would also like to thank our federal, state, and local partners, particularly the FBI, the DEA, ATF, and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, whose expertise and commitment make these success stories possible. HSI will continue to leverage the full strength of the Homeland Security Task Force to dismantle these networks, protect Georgia communities and make clear that transnational criminal organizations have no safe haven here. Thank you. Well thank you all again for joining us this morning. We've got time for a couple questions. Yes sir. Three cases in three different cartels. Are all the cartels considered terrorist organizations? So certain cartels have been designated foreign terrorist organizations. The ones mentioned here like CJNG and the Gulf Cartel have been. The Mr Mondragons case, which again, this is early in it. He is connected to the cartel. At this point, I'm not going to mention which one, but yes, all three are related to these organizations. Getting smuggled into New You aren't going to be able to determine. You know, I can speak generally as to how drugs arrive in to Georgia and it can arrive in any way in a truck concealed on a person. I can let my partners in law enforcement who deal with this day in and day out. But, you know, to your point of this sort of ongoing problem, I would just simply say. You know, there are people overdosing from these drugs and so we take that so seriously and so anybody who's doing this, that is the reason why we'll continue the fight. If anybody wants to join in on that question, please feel free to. Sure. I mean, I'm happy to say that, you know, listen, drugs come in in a host of different directions, a host of different concealments. I think my federal law enforcement partners here today will see them firsthand all the time. And so that is the challenge for us to stay ahead of them as much as possible. They come in in ways in which. Lay people do not understand and recognize. Everyone thinks they're just only coming across the border in trucks or trains or in cars. They're coming through air. They're coming through sea. They come in a host of different directions. And so we are definitely always trying to attempt to stay ahead of it. And that is why we continue to partner together. And, you know, just to. Add to that. Some of the drugs that we've seen, especially in some of the larger seizures, have been concealed in vegetables, for example. And so these large scale drug traffickers will get very creative. But fortunately, our law enforcement partners are very good at identifying and finding the stuff and seizing it like you can see today. Thank you for the question. Yes, sir. Would you say this is the tip of the iceberg? The tip of the iceberg as to the amount that Mr. Cerda was held accountable for at trial compared to historically what he has trafficked in his career, correct? Second point, you must have an extensive informant network. That's correct. And so some of the facts at trial involve using confidential informants or confidential sources to get into these networks. And to your point, that is one of the most valuable tools that law enforcement has to get that information to then be able to take this criminal activity out. But I can speak to these cases. Good old fashioned police work is also how you make these cases. It's local officers knowing what to look for. It's working your way up the chain. And it's that relationship between the prosecutor and the agent working around the clock to make this happen. So yes, confidential sources are a big piece of taking that taking out targets like this. But every tool is at our disposal. Yes sir. What difference does it make functionally to investigations like this to know that you're investigating hotels that have been also been designated as terrorists? How does that enhance your investigatory abilities? Sure. No it's a great question and it is a priority to go after that. Why? Because we want to hold the people at the top of the food chain accountable. You know We're not spending our time target the drug dealer on the street corner. We're trying to go up the chain as quickly as we can. And, you know, it's an obvious reason. Those are the people making the most money. Those are the people profiting the most off of other people's suffering. But if you can source it, you can make a dent in the landscape. I mean, the fentanyl that was seized was not far from the University of Georgia. Like, these cases have real life-saving impacts. And so... I get that it can feel like whack-a-mole, but to us, we are going to keep pushing. I guess what I'm asking is, how is that any different than a RICO case, the fact that these are also terrorist groups? How is this making the investigation structure different from a terrorist group? Right. So it is their designation, which is our focus, but, I mean, we're doing other types of cases, too. Like you mentioned RICO. I mean, we've got active gang cases, which look more traditional, but... The point is that we're going to hold is high of an individual accountable. And if that means extraditing them from Mexico, then that's what we'll do. And that's what our priority is on. I mean, we're, of course, doing a variety of different types of cases here. Um, but this is, I would say, at the top of the list of priorities, um, because it can change the landscape. It can save lives. Do you think they're targeting Athens Park County because of politics? I'll say this drug dealers will target whatever environment to maximize their profit if there is a market somewhere that is where they will flood the drugs and so um you know we're about public safety that is the whole point here and so I mentioned that because that is extremely concerning but you know I don't care where uh seven kilograms of fentanyl is in our in our district. We want to know about it and we take it seriously. Yes. So drugs, especially with this quantity, typically, again, they're sourced from Mexico. And there's evidence in these cases that the drugs came from Mexico, come across the United States. That's how they get here. You don't you know, for example, with methamphetamine, you don't see a meth lab like for 20 years ago producing 100 kilograms. That's just not exactly what the landscape looks like. Let me thank you all again for joining us here and for allowing us to share a little bit of our mission. Thank you. So what do I want the public to know? I want the public to know first how lucky we are to have these law enforcement officers in Georgia doing this work. Based off the facts that I just told you, I can assure you these are very dangerous cases. This is a dangerous line of work that they are in, but I can tell you it was hundreds of law enforcement officers involved and I was present during some of this and saw parking lots full of law enforcement officers working together to make sure we can seize this methamphetamine and these guns and fentanyl off the streets. I want to specifically recognize Assistant United States Attorney Mike Morrison and FBI Special Agent Jamie Hipkus. These men have worked tirelessly for years to work on these cases, to get this off the streets, to protect our communities. Their work is saving lives. But of course, this is a team effort. I want to say a big thank you to Athens-Clarke County Police Department. I want to thank DEA. You'll hear from HSI. You'll hear from FBI. But, you know, these This is a joint effort. You don't take down defendants like this and take things like this off the street unless we're all working together. And so the other thing I want the public to know is that these cases will continue to be prioritized. The Middle District of Georgia is not a good place to be engaged in this criminal activity. We are not going to take our foot off the gas. Our office and our partners in law enforcement at all levels, federal, state, and local law enforcement are 100% dedicated to this effort. We will not stop. The Middle District of Georgia is not a good place to be engaged in this criminal activity. We are not going to take our foot off the gas. Our office and our partners in law enforcement at all levels, federal, state and local law enforcement are 100% dedicated to this effort. We will not stop.