Cartel Member Extradited from Guatemala Sentenced to 10 Years for Meth Conspiracy in Atlanta

ATLANTA — Pablo Tabares-Martinez, 50, a member of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentencing follows his arrest in Guatemala, extradition to the United States, and conviction in the Northern District of Georgia.

Tabares-Martinez, a mid-level member of the cartel who previously resided in Mexico, was involved in coordinating the sale of methamphetamine and planning large-scale cocaine shipments to Atlanta. On November 16, 2021, he arranged the sale of one kilogram of methamphetamine to a buyer in Atlanta and followed up to confirm the product’s quality.

Between 2022 and 2023, he and other cartel members established a route to transport 150 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Atlanta. In March 2023, Tabares-Martinez traveled to Guatemala to inspect the cocaine and was arrested by local law enforcement. He was extradited to Georgia in November 2023, where he remained in custody.

Tabares-Martinez pleaded guilty on January 13, 2025, and was sentenced on Friday, July 25, 2025, by Chief United States District Judge Leigh Martin May. He will also serve five years of supervised release following his prison term.

The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Department of Homeland Security (HSI), with assistance from Guatemalan authorities. Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Laurel B. Milam prosecuted the case.