Three Illegal Aliens Charged in Atlanta Meth Lab Case Linked to Massive Celery-Truck Drug Bust

ATLANTA, Georgia — Three Mexican nationals appeared in federal court this week facing charges connected to an alleged methamphetamine conversion laboratory operating in a suburban Atlanta neighborhood, federal prosecutors announced.

Sergio Cortes-Nieto, 53; Christian Martinez Larumbe Dominguez, 31; and Jose Angel Cortes Raquel, 39, are charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine following a Drug Enforcement Administration investigation.

According to federal authorities, DEA agents executed a search warrant on February 20, 2026, at a residence in Brookhaven, where investigators discovered an alleged methamphetamine conversion lab concealed beneath a tent in the backyard. Agents reportedly found Cortes Raquel and Larumbe Dominguez actively operating the lab when officers arrived. Cortes Raquel allegedly attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended.

Investigators seized approximately 100 pounds of liquid methamphetamine mixed into concrete along with an additional 50 liters of liquid methamphetamine solution. Cortes-Nieto was arrested earlier the same day at a nearby storage facility and is also accused of participating in drug conversion activities tied to the operation.

Federal officials said all three men are citizens of Mexico and were allegedly in the United States illegally.

Cortes Raquel also faces additional charges tied to a previously unsealed 2024 federal indictment involving what authorities described as a record-breaking seizure of 2,370 pounds of methamphetamine concealed inside boxes of celery at the Atlanta State Farmers Market in Forest Park. Prosecutors allege he coordinated that shipment.

“These illegal aliens… were allegedly audaciously operating a drug lab in the backyard of a suburban home,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will continue to aggressively prosecute the criminals responsible for manufacturing and distributing this poison.”

DEA Atlanta Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung added that the laboratory’s proximity to families and children demonstrated “a level of disregard for human life” that law enforcement will not tolerate.

The criminal complaints and indictment contain allegations only, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

The investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Schwarzl and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Herskowitz.