Yadira Gomez-Gonzalez Sentenced for Meth Ring Conspiration

ATLANTA – In a gritty blow to the meth trade, Yadira Gomez-Gonzalez was sentenced to 14 years in prison for her role in a conspiracy to distribute nearly 14 kilograms of 100% pure methamphetamine. The operation, which spanned from California to Georgia, has been dismantled thanks to a successful undercover DEA operation.

“This drug trafficking ring affected countless lives,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak. “Thankfully our law enforcement partners were able to penetrate this group and remove this poison from our streets.”

The Atlanta DEA office’s Special Agent in Charge, Robert J. Murphy, echoed the sentiment: “DEA has crushed a lucrative meth smuggling operation in Atlanta. We will continue to fight those who distribute this poison in our communities.”

According to court documents, Gomez-Gonzalez and her husband, Fernando Herrera-Rojas, were identified by DEA agents as drug smugglers seeking truckers for cross-country drug runs. An undercover agent posing as a long-haul trucker brokered the deal with Gomez-Gonzalez and Herrera-Rojas.

The operation came to a halt when the undercover agent delivered 14 kg of meth to Gomez-Gonzalez and Herrera-Rojas. Agents also seized $23,890 and a firearm from Reynaldo Gonzalez-Arreola’s home in Los Angeles. Gomez-Gonzalez was also involved in another shipment attempt from Texas.

The defendants sentenced by U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May are:

• Yadira Gomez-Gonzalez, 34, Kennesaw, Georgia – 14 years imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release
• Fernando Herrera-Rojas, 35, Kennesaw, Georgia – 8 years imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release
• Reynaldo Gonzalez-Arreola, 32, Los Angeles, California – 14 years imprisonment followed by five years of supervised release

This prosecution was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Hartigan prosecuted the case.

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