On April 1, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted seven individuals from Georgia and Mexico. The indictment concerns a drug trafficking and money laundering ring linked to a Mexico-based trafficker. Five defendants from Norcross, Georgia—Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, Karina Beatriz Perez Hernandez, David Miranda Vinalay, Jerome Lewis, and Irving Joel Hernandez—were apprehended in a coordinated operation involving the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and local law enforcement. Following their arrests, the defendants appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
"Thanks to the great investigative work of our federal partners and local law enforcement, five individuals working on behalf of the violent Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) have been taken off our streets," stated Attorney General Pamela Bondi. "We will not allow these criminal enterprises to continue profiting off of the death and destruction of American lives."
Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. indicated that the defendants reportedly trafficked considerable amounts of fentanyl and other harmful substances. Additionally, they allegedly laundered over $1 million in illegal proceeds in two months as directed by a trafficking network based in Mexico. “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," he noted.
Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's Atlanta Division, highlighted the detrimental impact of fentanyl on local communities. "These arrests should be a clear message to the traffickers that keeping our communities safe is our highest priority," Chung said.
Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of IRS-CI's Atlanta Field Office explained the focus on financial matters, stating, "Using our expertise in financial investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation is following the money, despite attempts by criminals to cover their tracks."
The indictment and court documents reveal that in September 2024, the DEA discovered a scheme involving drug traffickers providing bulk cash to a middleman in Norcross, who then delivered the funds to Chilel and her daughter Perez. They allegedly laundered the money through a business named "La Pulga Esperenza" and transferred it to Mexico in small amounts to avoid raising suspicion. Between September and November 2024, it is alleged that over $1 million was laundered by these defendants.
Several traffickers involved in the money transfers, including David Miranda Vinalay, Jerome Lewis, and Irving Joel Hernandez, were identified during the DEA investigation. Some of these individuals reportedly had connections with the CJNG and transported methamphetamine and fentanyl.
The public is reminded that an indictment comprises only charges, and the defendants remain innocent until proven guilty in court.
The case involves investigations by the DEA and IRS-CI, with support from the Georgia State Patrol, Dekalb County Police Department, Gwinnett County Police Department, and Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office. Prosecutors Bethany L. Rupert and Dwayne A. Brown Jr. of the Northern District of Georgia are handling the case.
This investigation is linked to Operation Take Back America, which coordinates efforts from the Justice Department to combat illegal immigration and dismantle cartels. This case is part of an OCDETF operation focused on top-level criminal organizations threatening the United States.