ATLANTA — Federal authorities say a metro Atlanta man accused of working for a Mexican drug cartel hid large amounts of fentanyl inside car batteries while distributing the deadly drug across the region.
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According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, Kevin Martinez, 20, of Doraville, appeared in federal court Monday on charges related to the alleged distribution of a significant amount of fentanyl in the metro Atlanta area.
Investigators say Martinez allegedly operated under the direction of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel, a Mexico-based criminal organization.
Federal prosecutors say Martinez helped flood communities with lethal fentanyl before agents moved in to stop the operation.
“Martinez allegedly worked on behalf of a terrorist drug cartel, flooding our communities with massive quantities of lethal fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of the tireless and courageous work of law enforcement, Martinez is in federal custody, and the cartel’s deadly drugs are off the street.”
The investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration found Martinez was allegedly distributing fentanyl pills in metro Atlanta that were stamped with a “Pacman” symbol eating an “LV” logo.
Agents first seized about six pounds of the stamped fentanyl during traffic stops in Fulton County and Henry County on Feb. 4 and Feb. 18.
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Authorities say the investigation escalated on March 6, when federal agents executed a search warrant at Martinez’s apartment in Doraville.
During the search, agents say they found about 44 pounds of fentanyl hidden inside car batteries, along with six guns and a money counter.
DEA officials say the arrest highlights the agency’s ongoing efforts to combat the growing fentanyl crisis.
“The distribution of fentanyl poses an extreme danger to our communities,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle those responsible.”
Martinez appeared before a federal magistrate judge on a criminal complaint charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
The case remains under investigation.
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