Remove ads by Supporting Independent News
Written by: A. Smith
Published November 25, 2025 @ 10:43 AM ET
HALL COUNTY, Ga. – Authorities say a multi-agency drug operation has uncovered more than 1,500 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside refrigerated blackberry shipments in Atlanta and Hall County, resulting in multiple arrests and one of the largest meth seizures in recent Georgia history.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced that Juan Hernandez, 40, and Nelsonen Sorto, 36, both of Atlanta, were arrested and charged with trafficking methamphetamine after agents executed a search warrant Nov. 20 at a home on Custer Avenue SE in Atlanta. The warrant followed intelligence about a large quantity of narcotics at the location, the GBI said.
Investigators found approximately 419 kilograms of crystal meth inside a refrigerated truck parked outside the house. The shipment had been concealed among blackberries, according to the FBI Atlanta Field Office.
A connected search in Hall County turned up another 300 kilograms of meth hidden in a second blackberry shipment inside a refrigerated box truck on McEver Road, officials said. In total, the investigation seized about 719 kilograms—roughly 1,585 pounds—of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $22.5 million, according to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Federal and state authorities believe both drug shipments originated in Mexico.
In Hall County, deputies also arrested Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, 44, a Mexican national living in Gainesville. He was taken into custody at his home on Browns Bridge Road, though he was not present when the drugs were seized from the truck, the sheriff’s office said.
“I know it’s disturbing to the public to realize such large amounts of illegal drugs are being trafficked into our community,” Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch said in a statement. “But I hope citizens take comfort in knowing the Hall County Sheriff’s Office has investigators who are dedicated to curbing drug activity.”
Hernandez and Sorto were booked into the Fulton County Jail. Solorio-Alvarado faces state charges in Hall County.
The investigation involved the GBI’s West Metro and Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Offices, along with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Atlanta Police Department, and the FBI. Officials said the case will be turned over to the Atlanta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office once the investigation is complete.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the GBI at 1-800-597-TIPS or submit tips online.