NORCROSS, Ga. — Editor's Note: This story inaccurately detailed the worth of the meth. The meth found is worth $160,000 per gram instead of $160,000 in total. It has been updated to reflect the latest information.
A man is now facing felony drug charges after agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed a major meth bust believed to be part of a drug cartel in Gwinnett County on Monday.
Franklin Pineda, 33, was arrested on Monday where he faces meth trafficking charges in violation of the Georgia Controlled Substance Act, according to Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office jail records.
"We can't allow this poison to make it to the street in this quantity and this amount," DEA Atlanta Division Special Agent Robert Murphy said.
The agency held a news conference on Tuesday announcing they found 388 kilograms of finished meth, which is equivalent to almost half a ton of the drugs, inside a Norcross storage unit.
Agents said they received information from someone, which led to them uncovering the drugs in the storage unit. After receiving the information, law enforcement was able to "zero in" on where the meth was being stored. That's when K-9 units with the Sandy Springs Police Department helped the federal agents along with several other departments uncover the large amount of meth.
According to agents, the drugs are worth $160,000 per gram and came from a drug cartel.
Agents told reporters about the cartel's motive to hide in plain sight in metro Atlanta neighborhoods.
"The cartels want to blend into the community," said Special Agent Murphy. "They're worried about two things. They're worried about police activity. Obviously, they're worried about a seasonal product, but they're also worried about the criminal element themselves. They don't; they don't want to attract other criminals that are going to see this as a great opportunity to steal money and or product."
Special Agent Murphy added that the latest meth bust is the fourth or fifth of its size they have discovered. Agents believe that because meth is so cheap and synthetic, it makes the drug more attractive to cartels.
"I can assure you that there was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes, and we're going to take out the entire people that we can represent here in the metro Atlanta that are responsible for this," said Murphy.
Law enforcement agencies reiterated the issue of drug distribution extends far beyond the metro area, and by removing it from the streets, they are saving lives.
They also said for smugglers to get drugs across the border shows "unbelievable ingenuity." Earlier this month, DEA officials told 11Alive that they found $250,000 worth of meth inside a van's frame in Clayton County.
"But, obviously, we are saving lives here. The level of destruction and chaos drug use causes in our communities; we've been seeing it for generations, and it destroys generations, destroys families," said Murphy.
It is unclear if any other people are facing charges in this incident, but the DEA Task Force continues to look for those involved.