An illegal alien with drug trafficking convictions who had been deported twice is facing more charges after being busted with 440 pounds of methamphetamine in Georgia.
Gerardo Miranda Mendoza, 57, is facing charges of meth possession with intent to distribute and illegal reentry into the U.S., the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Northern District of Georgia said this week. He appeared in federal court on Monday and is being detained without bail.
“Despite two prior drug trafficking convictions and subsequent deportations, Mendoza allegedly returned illegally and attempted to traffic a massive amount of methamphetamine in our community,” U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said in a statement. “As a result of the tireless efforts and dedication of the Homeland Security Task Force, Mendoza now faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in federal prison, and nearly a quarter-ton of deadly methamphetamine has been taken off the street.”
Mendoza, who’s from Mexico, was nabbed earlier this month as part of a federal drug trafficking operation. He allegedly got into a van that another individual had put several trash bags containing 440 pounds of meth in, and drove away in it. Mendoza was stopped by Georgia State Patrol, and the drugs were found in the van.
ATLANTA – Gerardo Miranda Mendoza, an illegal alien from Mexico who was twice convicted of drug trafficking charges and twice removed from the United States, appeared in court yesterday to face new federal methamphetamine distribution and immigration charges after the seizure of… pic.twitter.com/DGMsZMPw4V
— US Attorney NDGA (@NDGAnews) November 10, 2026
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mendoza has prior convictions for conspiracy to distribute crustal meth in 2009 and transporting controlled substances in California in 1998. While it’s unclear when he illegally reentered the U.S., he was last deported in Nov. 2017.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the alleged crimes as part of a broader federal Homeland Security Task Force effort to crack down on cartel trafficking as directed by President Donald Trump.
“Criminal drug trafficking organizations do not operate within jurisdictional boundaries, and neither can our response,” said DEA Atlanta Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Connolly. “The Homeland Security Task Force provides a unified approach, bringing law enforcement partners together to share intelligence, coordinate investigations, and pursue those who threaten the safety and security of our communities,” he continued.
“A seizure of this magnitude is a reminder of why these partnerships matter,” he said.
