Indictment of Mexican Immigrant for Meth Trafficking
An undocumented immigrant from Mexico, who has spent nearly two decades in federal prison, was indicted on Tuesday. Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, 44, faces serious charges, including conspiracy to transport a staggering amount of methamphetamine—approximately 1,600 pounds—into the Atlanta region. Authorities reportedly discovered this large quantity of meth concealed within a shipment of blackberries.
Solorio-Alvarado is charged with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute meth. He has a prior conviction for felony possession with intent to distribute meth, as well as for having a firearm during drug trafficking activities, which resulted in a 17-year prison sentence.
The alleged accomplice, 36-year-old Nelson Enrique Salt from Atlanta, is also in trouble, facing charges of possession with intent to distribute meth. Salt had been convicted of felony meth possession in 2024 and is currently on probation.
On November 20, federal agents and Hall County sheriff’s deputies were monitoring a cold storage facility in Fulton County when they spotted three refrigerated trucks parked. They tracked one to a gas station in Gainesville, where Solorio-Alvarado picked up the driver and left an abandoned truck.
A K9 unit was brought in and, upon investigation, discovered about 661 pounds of meth concealed among the blackberry pallets. Solorio-Alvarado was apprehended after attempting to escape from behind his home, where officers found the keys to the abandoned truck inside.
Simultaneously, investigators were observing another truck that was traveling toward a residence in southeast Atlanta. This truck was alongside the SUV that Salt was driving. After leaving in the SUV with two passengers, Salt was pulled over by Georgia State Patrol troopers, who discovered two firearms and several containers of blackberries.
A search of a box truck outside a home in Atlanta, executed by Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents with help from the FBI, led to the recovery of approximately 924 pounds of meth hidden within the blackberry shipment. Combined, these seizures account for a total of 1,585 pounds of methamphetamine, valued at tens of millions of dollars.
U.S. Attorney Theodore Herzberg reported that Solorio-Alvarado, having a history of drug trafficking and firearm possession, remains in the U.S. illegally after serving his lengthy prison sentence. He noted that similar drug smuggling tactics have been observed previously, with drugs hidden in various vegetables. Both suspects will remain in state custody before being handed over to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Regarding their potential sentences, Solorio-Alvarado could face a prison term of at least 15 years due to his criminal history, while Salt could face a minimum of 10 years. The maximum possible outcome for both could be life in prison without parole.
