Two Men Face Federal Charges After Nearly 1,600 Pounds of Meth Seized in Georgia

Atlanta, GA – Federal authorities have charged Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, a 44-year-old Mexican national and former federal inmate, and 36-year-old Nelson Enrique Sorto with drug trafficking offenses after law enforcement seized a combined 1,585 pounds of methamphetamine in Southeast Atlanta and Gainesville, Georgia. The meth was hidden inside pallets of blackberries, highlighting the lengths traffickers went to conceal their shipments.

According to U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg, both men are repeat offenders. Solorio-Alvarado has a prior federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, for which he served 17 years. Sorto was on probation for a 2024 methamphetamine conviction in Hall County.

The investigation began on November 20, 2025, when federal agents surveilled a cold storage warehouse in Fulton County. Agents observed three refrigerated box trucks parked outside. One truck, traveling in tandem with an SUV driven by Sorto, was followed to a residence in Southeast Atlanta. Sorto was observed opening the truck’s rear doors and inspecting the cargo. Later, during a traffic stop, Georgia State Patrol troopers discovered firearms and several containers of blackberries in the SUV. A subsequent search of the Atlanta truck recovered approximately 924 pounds of methamphetamine.

Simultaneously, a second box truck was followed to a Gainesville gas station, where Solorio-Alvarado retrieved the driver and departed. After a K9 unit alerted to narcotics, law enforcement searched the abandoned truck and recovered about 661 pounds of methamphetamine. Solorio-Alvarado was later arrested at his residence while attempting to flee, with deputies discovering keys to the abandoned truck inside the home.

FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown and GBI Director Chris Hosey praised the coordinated effort of federal, state, and local agencies, emphasizing that the seizure prevented an enormous quantity of meth from entering Georgia communities. Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch called the operation a “major disruption” to meth traffickers and commended the tireless work of investigators.

Charges have been filed against both men: Solorio-Alvarado was indicted by a federal grand jury on conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, while Sorto faces a criminal complaint for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case involved close coordination between the FBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia State Patrol, and the Hall County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Keen and Dwayne Brown, Jr. are prosecuting the case.