Marco Cueto-Rosales, a Mexican national residing in the United States without legal status, has been arraigned after authorities seized 325 pounds of methamphetamine from a storage unit in Norcross, Georgia. The incident occurred on October 10, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg stated, “Cueto-Rosales, who was illegally in the United States, allegedly hid a large amount of methamphetamine in a public storage unit. Although the Mexican cartels stockpile and peddle their poison in our community, the quick actions of law enforcement thankfully took these deadly drugs off the streets.”
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, commented on the broader impact: “This operation is about more than drugs – it’s about protecting families and giving our communities a chance to live free from the violence and addiction that meth brings.”
According to information presented by U.S. Attorney Hertzberg and court documents, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) observed Cueto-Rosales at an outdoor storage facility moving items between plastic bins and trash bags. Later that day, a narcotics detection dog from Gwinnett County Police alerted officers to possible drugs inside the unit. Agents then obtained a federal search warrant.
Upon searching the unit, law enforcement discovered nearly 1,500 packages containing methamphetamine with a total weight of 325 pounds stored in trash bags and bins.
Cueto-Rosales was detained before agents searched the unit and determined he was unlawfully present in the country.
He has been charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 28, 2025 and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Regina D. Cannon.
Authorities emphasized that an indictment contains only charges; all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt at trial.
The investigation involved cooperation between the DEA and Gwinnett County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. LaGrone is prosecuting this case.
This prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative using resources from several Justice Department programs to combat illegal immigration and organized crime related to drug trafficking.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office encourages parents and children to learn more about drug prevention at www.justthinktwice.gov.
For additional details or inquiries regarding this case or others handled by this office, contact information is available through their official website: http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.