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Drug dealers try to rob undercover DEA agents, leading to gunfire, officials say

ATLANTA — The Drug Enforcement Agency said a group of drug dealers tried to rob a group of undercover agents in a northwest Atlanta neighborhood Tuesday, leading to gunfire.

The neighborhood on Hollywood Road was on lockdown for more than 15 hours while the Georgia Bureau of Investigation worked the scene.

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"All the roadways were blocked, and the cop was like, 'The DEA is over there, you can't go,'" said neighbor Stephanie Reyes.

Throughout the morning, Channel 2 Action News watched as federal agents combed the area for evidence following the heated gun battle.

It began when the crew, holding guns, tried to rob an undercover DEA agent making a buy.

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"At that point, other agents who were on the scene attempted to intervene and shots were exchanged between the assailants and the agents," said Chad Cook, with the DEA.

That's when the robbing crew ran. Agents told Channel 2's Tom Regan they later found one of them hiding in an apartment with a gunshot wound to the leg.

As they searched for the other culprits, the DEA set up a wide perimeter around the neighborhood.

People who live in two apartment complexes couldn't leave or get back into the homes.

"I was stuck here pretty much all night, through the morning," said neighbor Victor Wallace.

"It was a major inconvenience for the both of us," another woman told Regan, asking not to be identified.

Later in the morning Wednesday, police towed away two cars in connection with the drug investigation.

The DEA said the dealers who were targeted sold a wide variety of drugs, including meth, coke, heroin and more.

"A lot of the drugs we seized, a lot of them have fentanyl in there. Whether it's cocaine, meth, a lot of traffickers are mixing that in," Cook said.

If anyone has information related to the incident or the people involved, the GBI is asking people to call their Atlanta Regional Office at 770-388-5019.