Feds Seize 1,585 Pounds of Meth Hidden in Blackberries, Two Arrested in Georgia

Federal authorities announced the indictment of two men after recovering an estimated 1,585 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in pallets of blackberries during coordinated stops in Georgia.

Defendants and charges
Prosecutors identified Gerardo Solorio-Alvarado, 44, a Mexican national, as the primary defendant. He is charged with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Solorio-Alvarado previously served 17 years in federal prison following convictions for methamphetamine distribution and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.

His alleged co-conspirator, Nelson Enrique Sorto, 36, of Atlanta, was charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Sorto is currently on probation after a 2024 conviction for felony possession of methamphetamine.

How the seizures unfolded

On Nov. 20, agents conducting surveillance at a cold storage warehouse in Fulton County observed three refrigerated box trucks. One truck was tracked to a gas station in Gainesville. After a K-9 alerted to the odor of narcotics, officers searched the abandoned truck and discovered about 661 pounds of methamphetamine hidden among pallets of blackberries.

Authorities later arrested Solorio-Alvarado as he attempted to flee from the back of his Gainesville residence. Deputies recovered keys at the home that matched the abandoned truck.

At the same time, another team followed a second refrigerated truck that had been traveling in tandem with an SUV believed to be driven by Sorto toward a residence in southeast Atlanta. After troopers stopped the SUV shortly after midnight, they found two firearms and multiple containers of blackberries inside. A subsequent search of the box truck parked outside that home, conducted with assistance from state and federal agents, uncovered about 924 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in pallets of blackberries.

Taken together, the two seizures totaled approximately 1,585 pounds of methamphetamine — a haul U.S. prosecutors say is worth tens of millions of dollars.

Prosecution and potential penalties

Both men remain in state custody and are expected to be transferred to the U.S. Marshals Service for federal proceedings. Prosecutors said they will ask a federal judge to hold the defendants without bail.

Because of his prior convictions, Solorio-Alvarado faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in federal prison if convicted on the federal counts; Sorto faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years. Both defendants face maximum penalties that could include life imprisonment without parole.

“We have seen large meth shipments hidden in produce before — cucumbers, celery and jalapeños — and now blackberries,” a U.S. Attorney said at a news conference.

This case is being handled as part of a broader Homeland Security Task Force initiative aimed at disrupting large-scale drug trafficking operations.