Georgia – Federal prosecutors have brought charges against two men following a series of drug investigations in Norcross, Georgia, where authorities say large quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine were seized during coordinated law enforcement operations earlier this week.
According to the Department of Justice, Benjamin Alberto Lozoya, 27, of Chamblee, and Arturo Carreno-Rivera, 45, a Mexican national with no legal status in the United States, now face federal criminal complaints tied to separate narcotics trafficking activities uncovered by investigators.
The cases stem from surveillance and enforcement actions conducted on March 11 by agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and partner agencies.
Authorities say the investigation began when DEA agents observed Lozoya allegedly selling more than four pounds of methamphetamine during a meeting in a Norcross parking lot.
After the suspected transaction, agents followed him to a nearby trailer property. While monitoring the area, investigators later saw Lozoya emerge from a shed and approach another vehicle, where he allegedly delivered roughly $11,000 in cash connected to a separate drug deal.
Agents moved in and arrested him shortly afterward. During the arrest, investigators say they discovered a stolen, loaded handgun in his pocket along with about six pounds of methamphetamine inside a backpack.
A search of the nearby shed uncovered a much larger cache: more than 18 pounds of fentanyl packaged in purple brick-like bundles and approximately 25 pounds of a white crystalline substance consistent in appearance with methamphetamine.
Court records indicate Lozoya had previously been convicted in April 2023 in DeKalb County Superior Court on charges related to drug distribution, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and evidence tampering.
That same afternoon, agents were also monitoring suspected drug activity involving Carreno-Rivera. Investigators say he conducted a suspected narcotics transaction at a Norcross gas station before leaving the area. A short time later, a Georgia State Patrol trooper stopped his vehicle on Buford Highway. During a search, officers located more than a pound of fentanyl inside the car.
The investigation expanded further when agents executed a search warrant at Carreno-Rivera’s residence in Norcross. Inside the home, authorities reported finding an additional 11 pounds of fentanyl and a loaded semi-automatic handgun.
Both men appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Elizabeth McBath on federal complaints. Lozoya is charged with conspiracy to possess fentanyl and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, while Carreno-Rivera faces a charge of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Federal officials emphasized that the complaints represent allegations and that both defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The investigation involved cooperation between the DEA, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Gwinnett County Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia are handling the case.
