CJNG-Linked Drug & Money Laundering Network Dismantled in Georgia: Seven Indicted in Federal Operation

In a major victory for federal and local law enforcement, seven individuals tied to a violent Mexican drug cartel have been indicted by a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia for their roles in an international drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracy. Five of the accused, all residents of Norcross, Georgia, were arrested in a coordinated enforcement operation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and local law enforcement partners.

The arrests dismantled a key component of a transnational criminal enterprise linked to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), one of Mexico’s most powerful and dangerous drug trafficking organisations.

Alleged Criminal Network Fuelled by Fentanyl & Money Laundering

According to Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr., the defendants are accused of trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and other narcotics into Georgia communities, while laundering the resulting proceeds through a money service business (MSB) known as La Pulga Esperenza, operated in Norcross by co-defendants Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel and her daughter Karina Beatriz Perez Hernandez.

Federal investigators allege that between September and November 2024, over $1 million in drug profits were discreetly funnelled to Mexico via structured financial transactions designed to avoid triggering regulatory scrutiny. The MSB reportedly received cash deliveries from a cartel-linked middleman who coordinated collections from multiple traffickers.

DEA & IRS-CI Lead Intelligence-Driven Crackdown

DEA Special Agent Jae W. Chung emphasised the deadly consequences of fentanyl trafficking, stating:

These arrests should be a clear message to the traffickers that keeping our communities safe is our highest priority.

The drug enforcement operation traced shipments of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and exposed financial strategies used to conceal the origin and destination of drug proceeds.

IRS-CI special agents played a central role in unravelling the laundering mechanism. “Using our expertise in financial investigations, we are following the money, despite criminals’ attempts to cover their tracks,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman.

The indictment names seven defendants:

• Sandra Beatriz Hernandez Chilel, 49

• Karina Beatriz Perez Hernandez, 22

• David Miranda Vinalay, 39

• Jerome Lewis, 47

• Irving Joel Hernandez, 34

• Plus two additional individuals based in Mexico

All five Georgia-based individuals were arraigned before a magistrate judge following their arrest.

Part of Nationwide Crackdown on Money Laundering: Operation Take Back America

This case forms part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that leverages the full might of the U.S. Department of Justice to combat transnational criminal organisations, eliminate drug cartels, and secure communities against violent crime. The case also falls under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programme, which targets the most serious drug trafficking threats using an integrated, multi-agency, intelligence-driven approach.

Read the press release here.