Meth, Guns Seized in Alpharetta Raid

ALPHARETTA, GA -- A large amount of drugs and guns were seized by authorities in a raid carried out at an Alpharetta residence.

The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety was initially made aware of an alleged narcotic distribution point inside the city by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Detectives with the local police department and federal agents on Wednesday, Aug. 10 executed a search warrant at an apartment unit on Ivywood Lane, which sits off Huntington Drive and Old Roswell Road.

During the search, agents, with the help of Alpharetta K-9 Xena, unearthed 10 pounds of meth, nearly four pounds of marijuana, firearms and ammunition, Alpharetta Department of Public Safety spokesperson George Gordon said.

Before the search team arrived, the suspects allegedly involved in the operation left the home as it was under surveillance. An undercover detective followed the suspects and initiated a traffic stop.

Those three suspects -- two men and one woman -- were taken into custody and eventually arrested.

Venedi Rivera Rivera, 31, Alonso Penaloza, 25, and Alejandro Garcia Leon, 20, were each charged with trafficking methamphetamine, possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, conspiracy to commit a crime, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and various traffic charges.

In an related development, an unidentified male arrived on the scene to allegedly purchase meth, not realizing authorities were in the middle of carrying out the search warrant, Gordon said.

The man was "arrested immediately," and was discovered to have a loaded firearm and six grams of meth in his possession. He was charged with possession of methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, criminal conspiracy, possession of a handgun during the commission of a crime.

Gordon states that Vendi and Penaloza, who were in a relationship, did have children and there were a total of five youngsters living at the home. He noted the juveniles were not home when the search warrant was executed.

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Images via Alpharetta Department of Public Safety