Three Arrested in Metro Atlanta Drug Trafficking Investigation Tied to Mexican Cartel
Fulton County, GA – A multi-agency drug investigation has led to the arrest of three men connected to a large-scale narcotics and firearms trafficking operation in metro Atlanta with ties to the Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG).
The GBI Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO), along with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad (CMANS), Atlanta Police Department Narcotics Unit, Sandy Springs Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Violent Gang Task Force, arrested:
- Jubenal Farfan Arellano, 52, of Mexico
- Omar Flores Mena, 33, of Mexico
- Jose Radilla Maldonado, 29, of Sandy Springs, GA
All three are charged with Racketeering and Attempt or Conspiracy to Violate the Georgia Controlled Substances Act.
Flores also faces additional charges for Possession of Cocaine and Methamphetamine.
On October 29 and 30, 2025, agents executed five search warrants across Woodstock, Sandy Springs, and Atlanta, seizing more than 500 pounds of marijuana packaged for distribution and nine firearms.
Investigators say the suspects worked with CJNG associates to traffic firearms, marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine throughout the metro area. All three men were booked into the Cherokee County Jail, and additional arrests are expected.
The operation was the result of a lengthy, coordinated investigation involving multiple local and federal agencies, including HSI and the ATF.
Authorities encourage anyone with information related to drug activity to contact GBI ARDEO at (706) 348-7410 or submit anonymous tips by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), visiting gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or using the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
