Atlanta Fentanyl Trafficker with AK-47 Pistol Sentenced to Over 13 Years

Alexander Arellano, 25, of Atlanta, has been sentenced to 13 years and three months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing large quantities of fentanyl and possessing firearms. U.S. District Judge William M. Ray II handed down the sentence on April 14, 2025, after Arellano pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on August 29, 2024.

Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr. emphasized the danger posed by armed fentanyl traffickers, stating, “Defendants like Arellano who peddle this poison in our communities are being held accountable, including through lengthy prison sentences, thanks to the collaborative work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.”

According to court records, DEA agents witnessed Arellano selling half a kilogram of fentanyl in a Marietta gas station parking lot on May 3, 2024. Agents then followed him to a nearby apartment and subsequently arrested him. A federal search warrant executed at his apartment uncovered 10 kilograms of fentanyl, two loaded firearms, including an AK-47 pistol, and $120,000 in cash in Arellano’s bedroom. At the time of his arrest, Arellano was on probation for a previous methamphetamine trafficking conviction.

Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division Jae W. Chung commented, “Arellano endangered countless lives by trafficking large quantities of deadly fentanyl. The success of this investigation is proof that those destroying our communities with fentanyl will be held accountable.”

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Cobb County Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Bethany L. Rupert prosecuted the case.