Seven individuals linked to an international drug trafficking and money laundering operation have been indicted in Atlanta following a federal grand jury decision in the Northern District of Georgia. The charges are related to activities connected to a Mexico-based trafficker.
Among the defendants, five individuals from Norcross, Georgia—Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, Karina Beatriz Perez Hernandez, David Miranda Vinalay, Jerome Lewis, and Irving Joel Hernandez—were apprehended on April 15, 2025. Their arrests were part of a coordinated operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigation Unit, and local law enforcement agencies.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi stated, "Thanks to the great investigative work of our federal partners and local law enforcement, five individuals working on behalf of the violent JNGC cartel have been taken off our streets. We will not allow these criminal enterprises to continue profiting off of the death and destruction of American lives."
The case, presented by Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr., involves allegations that the defendants trafficked significant volumes of fentanyl and other drugs into the community, laundering proceeds exceeding $1 million over a two-month period. He emphasized the challenges of uncovering such criminal activities: “Although these individuals took great measures to conceal their alleged criminal conduct, a determined and coordinated effort by our federal and local law enforcement partners helped to secure the federal charges in this case.”
Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, stated, “The deadly impact of fentanyl on our communities is devastating. These arrests should be a clear message to the traffickers that keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.”
Demetrius Hardeman of the IRS added, “Using our expertise in financial investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation is following the money, despite attempts by criminals to cover their tracks. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents in partnerships with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other law enforcement agencies, will continue our work investigating and holding accountable those responsible for bringing dangerous drugs into our communities.”
The investigations revealed a scheme beginning in September 2024, where traffickers delivered large sums of money from drug sales to a middleman in Norcross, later transferred to Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel and Karina Beatriz Perez Hernandez. They allegedly ran a money service business named "La Pulga Esperenza." Drug proceeds were reportedly laundered by transferring cash to Mexico in small increments to avoid detection.
The DEA uncovered that traffickers involved in this ring, including defendants David Miranda Vinalay, Jerome Lewis, and Irving Joel Hernandez, had connections to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The indictment suggests methamphetamine and fentanyl intended for distribution were also in possession of some traffickers.
These charges are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide strategy by the Department of Justice focusing on dismantling transnational criminal organizations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Dwayne A. Brown, Jr.
The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and the government must establish their guilt in trial.