Four Arrested in Meth Trafficking Investigation Along I-85
Four individuals were arrested on January 30, 2025, following a Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) investigation into methamphetamine distribution along the I-85 corridor into South Carolina.
The following suspects were taken into custody:
- Sebastian Ruiz-Miranda, 58, of Mexico
- Alirio Jesus Zambrano, 44, of Venezuela
- Stephen Hensley, 23, of Maryland
- Alexandro Molero, 38, of Venezuela
Ruiz-Miranda and Zambrano were charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine and Sale of Methamphetamine and may face additional trafficking charges in South Carolina. Hensley was arrested by the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office on motor vehicle-related offenses. Ruiz-Miranda, Zambrano, and Molero were also detained on immigration-related offenses.
The investigation began in December 2024 when the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) identified Ruiz-Miranda and Zambrano as suspects in a meth trafficking operation in South Carolina. SLED collaborated with the GBI’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office, leading to the seizure of approximately three kilograms of suspected methamphetamine over the course of the investigation.
On January 30, a search warrant was executed at Zambrano’s home in Duluth, where Molero and Hensley were arrested. Zambrano was later arrested following a traffic stop in Gwinnett County, while Ruiz-Miranda was taken into custody after a separate traffic stop in Jackson County.
Multiple agencies assisted in the operation, including DEA, Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA, Georgia State Patrol, Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigation Section, Banks County Sheriff’s Office, and Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
If you have any information related to drug activity, you are encouraged to call GBI ARDEO at (706) 348-7410. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS(8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
