ATLANTA — Gerardo Miranda Mendoza appeared in court Monday, facing new federal methamphetamine distribution and immigration charges after the seizure of more than 440 pounds of methamphetamine from a vehicle in Conyers.
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Federal authorities say he’s an immigrant from Mexico here illegally who was twice convicted of drug trafficking charges and twice removed from the United States.
“Despite two prior drug trafficking convictions and subsequent deportations, Mendoza allegedly returned illegally and attempted to traffic a massive amount of methamphetamine in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of the tireless efforts and dedication of the Homeland Security Task Force, Mendoza now faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in federal prison, and nearly a quarter-ton of deadly methamphetamine has been taken off the street.”
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According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On Nov. 7, as part of a federal drug trafficking investigation, law enforcement saw Mendoza and another individual arrive in separate vehicles at a store parking lot in Stonecrest.
After Mendoza arrived in a van, he went inside the store, and the other individual then drove the van to a warehouse in Conyers.
The other man allegedly loaded trash bags at the warehouse into the vehicle, returned to the store parking lot and left the van. Mendoza then reentered the van and drove away.
Shortly thereafter, a Georgia State Patrol trooper stopped the van for a traffic violation. During a search of the van, law enforcement found several trash bags containing about 440 pounds of methamphetamine.
The investigation further revealed that Mendoza has a 2009 federal conviction for conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine, as well as a 1998 State of California conviction for transporting controlled substances. Mendoza was deported from the U.S. following each of these convictions - most recently in November 2017.
Monday, Mendoza, 57, of Morelia, Mexico, appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and illegal reentry by a previously removed alien.
He was ordered detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service without bail.
“Criminal drug trafficking organizations do not operate within jurisdictional boundaries, and neither can our response,” said Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The Homeland Security Task Force provides a unified approach, bringing law enforcement partners together to share intelligence, coordinate investigations, and pursue those who threaten the safety and security of our communities. A seizure of this magnitude is a reminder of why these partnerships matter.”
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol.
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