Alexander Arellano has been sentenced to over 13 years in federal prison for distributing fentanyl while unlawfully possessing firearms in the Atlanta area. Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. stated, "Fentanyl traffickers pose a tremendous threat to public safety especially when they illegally possess firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking crimes."
Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, Jae W. Chung, noted, "Arellano endangered countless lives by trafficking large quantities of deadly fentanyl." The investigation aimed at holding responsible those trafficking fentanyl in the community.
On May 3, 2024, DEA special agents observed Arellano selling half a kilogram of fentanyl in a Marietta gas station parking lot. Agents later arrested Arellano at an apartment complex on Windy Hill Road in Marietta after obtaining a federal search warrant. The search uncovered 10 kilograms of fentanyl, two loaded firearms, including an AK-47 pistol, and $120,000 in cash in Arellano's bedroom. Previously convicted for trafficking methamphetamine, Arellano was on probation at the time of his arrest.
Sentenced by U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II on April 14, 2025, Arellano, aged 25, pled guilty to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in a drug trafficking crime on August 29, 2024. This led to a sentence of 13 years, three months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
The DEA spearheaded the investigation with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Cobb County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Bethany L. Rupert prosecuted the case.
Inquiries can be directed to the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office via email at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or phone at (404) 581-6280. Further information is available at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia website at http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.