Illegal Alien Drug Kingpin Pleads Guilty to Trafficking, Robbery, and Money Laundering Charges in Georgia

Adan Macedo-Rios, 52, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States, has pleaded guilty to a litany of charges including conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm by an alien illegally present in the States, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. His conviction was announced by U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg.

Macedo-Rios, a large-scale drug trafficker, was responsible for supplying at least 123 kilograms of cocaine to Atlanta-based distributors, with the drugs destined for multiple states. According to court documents, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents intercepted communications in 2023 that led to the seizure of cocaine, other narcotics, and drug proceeds from his network.

He also funneled drug payments to his suppliers in Mexico and laundered illicit gains by fraudulently purchasing an eight-acre horse ranch with a 24-horse stable and farmhouse in Loganville, Georgia.

In a thwarted plot, Macedo-Rios and his co-conspirators planned to rob a rival drug supplier of 65 kilograms of cocaine, even conducting surveillance and placing a tracker on the target’s car. The plan, which included the use of firearms, was intercepted and disrupted by DEA agents.

Upon his arrest at the horse ranch, agents discovered a loaded Colt .38 pistol and a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic handgun in his bedroom. As a convicted felon and an unlawfully present alien, Macedo-Rios is prohibited from possessing firearms. He has a history of multiple deportations from the United States.

“Macedo-Rios, an illegal alien, distributed large amounts of dangerous drugs and laundered his ill-gotten gains through the purchase of a Georgia horse ranch. His callous and dangerous behavior—highlighted by his involvement in a plot to rob a rival cocaine supplier—was disrupted by the tireless work of our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Hertzberg.

Macedo-Rios faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to life in prison for the drug trafficking conviction, up to 20 years for the Hobbs Act Robbery, up to 15 years for the firearm conviction, and up to 20 years for money laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for August 26, 2025.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Georgia State Patrol and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys John T. DeGenova and Rebeca M. Ojeda are prosecuting the case.