Cocaine Trafficking Ring Dismantled in Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia – Vladimir Collazo-Florido, a/k/a "Cannabis," Marlon Matthew Pittman, a/k/a "Marlo Pittman," and Carlos Gonzalez-Catala, a/k/a "El Electrico," have been indicted for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
The charges arose from an investigation into money laundering activities in Atlanta as far back as 2012, and eventually led to a series of federally authorized wiretaps on cellular phones used by members of the drug trafficking operation ("DTO") in Atlanta and Puerto Rico.
According to the indictment, Collazo-Florido would obtain cocaine from sources in the Dominican Republic and Colombia, and then send some of that cocaine through the U.S. Mail to his associates in the contiguous United States, including Pittman in Atlanta, usually in parcels containing up to 1.5 kilograms at a time.
Pittman would sell the cocaine to customers in Atlanta, South Carolina, and Maryland, and then transfer the proceeds of the drug sales back to Puerto Rico by carrying large quantities of cash, including one instance of transporting approximately $90,000 cash in a duffle bag, and other times by purchasing and mailing U.S. Postal Service money orders.
The indictment alleges that Gonzalez-Catala was responsible for packaging and mailing the drugs.
All three individuals have been charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute at least 500 grams of cocaine. Pittman has also been charged with money laundering.
Collazo-Florido and Gonzalez-Catala were arrested in Puerto Rico on August 24, 2017, and were then transferred to Atlanta where they have been ordered detained by U.S. Magistrate Judge Justin S. Anand.
Pittman’s current status is unknown.
Key Facts
- State: Georgia
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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