Federal agents in Georgia arrested two men after finding 1,585 pounds of methamphetamine hidden inside pallets of blackberries at refrigerated storage facilities, leading to indictments and criminal charges tied to large-scale trafficking.
Two suspects, Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado and Nelson Enrique Sorto, face federal allegations after law enforcement uncovered a massive meth shipment concealed with fruit. Officials say the drugs were discovered at separate locations tied to a cold storage facility in Fulton County and at a gas station in Gainesville, Georgia.
Investigators followed refrigerated box trucks from a Fulton County cold storage warehouse on November 20, 2025, and watched one truck move in tandem with an SUV driven by Sorto to a residence in southeast Atlanta. Sorto reportedly checked the rear of the truck before leaving in the SUV shortly after midnight with two passengers.
Georgia State Patrol troopers stopped the SUV and found two firearms and multiple containers of blackberries inside the vehicle. A subsequent search of the parked box truck produced about 924 pounds of methamphetamine hidden among the pallets of fruit, recovered by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation with FBI assistance.
Another team trailed a second box truck from the same storage site to a Gainesville gas station, where Solorio-Alvarado arrived and took the box truck driver before leaving. After a K9 alerted to drugs, agents located roughly 661 pounds of methamphetamine concealed inside that abandoned truck’s blackberry pallets.
Solorio-Alvarado was later taken into custody at his Gainesville residence after attempting to flee from the back of the home, and deputies recovered keys to the abandoned truck inside the house. Authorities say the two seizures add up to approximately 1,585 pounds of methamphetamine tied to the same operation.
“These repeat offenders, including an illegal alien, allegedly attempted to conceal and traffic an enormous quantity of deadly methamphetamine in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We are thankful for the quick action of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners who apprehended these individuals and stopped nearly 1,600 pounds of methamphetamine from hitting the streets.”
Officials highlighted the defendants’ past records during the announcement. Solorio-Alvarado, described as an illegal alien from Mexico, previously served a 17-year federal sentence after a conviction for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The investigation also revealed that Sorto is on probation for a 2024 Hall County conviction for possession of methamphetamine. Federal authorities filed an indictment against Solorio-Alvarado on December 2, 2025, charging conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, while Sorto was charged in a criminal complaint on December 1, 2025.
“The FBI will never waver in our commitment to disrupt traffickers and prevent their dangerous drugs from reaching our streets, no matter where they try to hide them,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Thanks to the quick response and dedicated efforts of our law enforcement partners, these repeat offenders will be held responsible for their crimes.”
State investigative leaders praised the multiagency effort that led to the arrests. “This indictment serves as a clear message that drug trafficking has no place in our communities. It shows what can be accomplished when law enforcement works together with determination and purpose. We remain committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to pursue and disrupt the plans of those who threaten our communities through drug trafficking,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Hall County officials also emphasized the impact of taking a major shipment off the street. “These arrests and the confiscation of this massive amount of methamphetamine represent a major disruption to the criminals who traffic this dangerous poison in our communities,” said Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch. “Hall County Sheriff’s Office investigators worked tirelessly in this case to hold accountable those who threaten the well-being of people in our county and communities across Georgia. I’m incredibly proud of the teamwork displayed by our investigators and our state and federal partners.”
The criminal matters remain allegations until proven in court, and prosecutors note the defendants are presumed innocent. The cases are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Keen and Dwayne Brown, Jr., with investigations led by the FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Hall County Sheriff’s Office, and assistance from Georgia State Patrol and the Hall County District Attorney’s Office.
The prosecutions were announced as part of Operation Take Back America, a Department of Justice initiative focused on stopping illegal immigration and dismantling cartel and transnational criminal organization activity, including efforts coordinated through Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods. They are also tied to the Homeland Security Task Force initiative under Executive Order 14159, which targets criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and human smuggling networks through whole-of-government cooperation.
