Man sentenced in metro Atlanta meth lab case involving 770 kilos of drugs

A man will spend years behind bars for trafficking drugs out of a metro Atlanta home.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Florencio Magana-Sarabia was sentenced Thursday to 16 years and three months in federal prison for his role in manufacturing and trafficking more than 770 kilograms of methamphetamine out of an Ellenwood house.

A judge handed down the sentence, which will be followed by five years of supervised release.

The sentencing ends a federal investigation into a large clandestine methamphetamine conversion laboratory operated inside a residential neighborhood.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Georgia State Patrol dismantled the operation after seizing hundreds of kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, liquid methamphetamine and three guns from the property and a related traffic stop.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Atlanta Dream force first Game 7 in WNBA Finals history
• Georgia school shooting plot: Suspects chose date, had floor plans of school, warrants say
• Mother charged in hot car death allowed to take her other children trick-or-treating

On Oct. 20, 2023, federal law enforcement officers investigating drug activity at the Ellenwood home observed several men loading boxes into a Toyota Tacoma. Officers coordinated with the Georgia State Patrol to perform a traffic stop after the vehicle left the house. During the stop, agents seized 134 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine from driver Luis Santiago Urrutia-Mata and passenger José Luis Avalos-Menera.

Following the traffic stop, agents searched the Ellenwood home rented by Magana-Sarabia. Inside, investigators discovered a laboratory containing 260 kilograms of finished crystal methamphetamine and 100 gallons of still-liquid methamphetamine, along with three guns. Federal agents also apprehended Erik Santana-Sanchez as he fled the conversion lab, later determining he assisted in manufacturing the drugs.

U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg commended the joint efforts of state and federal law enforcement.

“Demonstrating utter contempt for our laws, this illegal alien and his accomplices amassed and distributed a staggering amount of deadly methamphetamine in a residential neighborhood,” Hertzberg said. “The quick action of our state and federal partners dismantled this drug trafficking operation and saved countless lives.”

Michael J. Connolly, acting special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Field Division, emphasized the collaborative nature of the operation.

“This sentencing is the result of a coordinated effort by dedicated law enforcement professionals committed to disrupting drug trafficking and protecting the public,” Connolly said. “No single agency can tackle these threats alone and this case underscores the importance of working together to dismantle criminal operations and bring those responsible to justice.”

Three co-conspirators in the operation were previously sentenced in federal court for their involvement in the trafficking scheme.

Avalos-Menera, 40, of Michoacán, Mexico, received 108 months in prison and five years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Urrutia-Mata, 26, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced to 78 months in prison and five years of supervised release following guilty pleas to conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Santana-Sanchez, 39, of Guerrero, Mexico, was sentenced to 78 months in prison and four years of supervised release after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

Magana-Sarabia, 44, of Michoacán, Mexico, pleaded guilty on July 28 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]