Marietta Man Arrested After Attempted Pickup of 10 Kilos of Fentanyl

Rodrigo Morales-Figueroa, 29, of Marietta, Georgia, was arrested on June 18, 2025, and appeared in federal court in the Northern District of Georgia on June 23 on charges of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to federal authorities, Morales-Figueroa attempted to pick up ten kilograms of fentanyl transported by a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO), a move officials say could have led to countless overdoses if the drugs had reached Georgia streets.

In early June 2025, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents intercepted a shipment of fentanyl hidden inside modified car batteries. The shipment, traced to a Mexican cartel, was intended for distribution within the United States.

Federal investigators received intelligence that a courier would soon be dispatched to collect the concealed drugs. On June 18, agents from the DEA and HSI, with assistance from the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, set up a controlled delivery operation at a prearranged location in Gainesville, Georgia.

Morales-Figueroa arrived at the site, allegedly examined the ten packages of fake fentanyl, and loaded them into his vehicle. Law enforcement officers arrested him shortly afterward without incident. Officials believe he was acting on behalf of the DTO as part of a larger operation to distribute fentanyl throughout the region.

“Foreign cartels profit from the addiction and deaths of Americans, pushing fentanyl and other dangerous drugs in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Our federal law enforcement partners saved countless lives by working quickly in this investigation, which disrupted a major drug trafficking pipeline from Mexico.”

“The dangers of fentanyl cannot be overstated,” said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of HSI in Georgia and Alabama. “Thanks to the diligent work of HSI and our law enforcement partners, we successfully intercepted ten kilograms of fentanyl, preventing this poison from reaching the streets of Georgia.”

DEA Acting Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung added, “This case represents the continued commitment of the DEA to identify and hold accountable those who engage in the distribution of dangerous drugs.”

Morales-Figueroa was charged by criminal complaint, and the case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keen. He has not yet been indicted by a grand jury and remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

The investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative aimed at dismantling drug cartels, combatting illegal immigration, and reducing violent crime through coordination of resources across local, state, and federal agencies.