Men Convicted In Million-Dollar Meth, Heroin Bust

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Two men have been convicted of trafficking methamphetamine and heroin in Gwinnett County after police found 100 pounds of the drugs — worth about $1 million — hidden in a secret compartment behind the wheel rims of a truck.

Daniel Garcia-Martinez and Isidoro Bucio Villasenor, of Lawrenceville, were convicted Friday on charges of trafficking more than 400 grams of methamphetamine, trafficking more than 28 grams of heroin, conspiracy to traffic meth and conspiracy to traffic heroin.

Garcia-Martinez, prosecutors say, was the head of a Mexican-based drug cartel operating out of Gwinnett County.

In May 2015, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration and Gwinnett County District Attorney' Office drug task force began an investigation of the cartel. The investigation started when a woman who had been involved in it agreed to work as a confidential informant.

Prosecutors say Garcia-Martinez had come up in a separate investigation earlier that year, but not enough information on him was found for an arrest by the time the investigation ended. The source told agents that a drug shipment was on its way to Gwinnett County under the direction of Garcia-Martinez.

Villasenor was driving a Ford Ranger from California with about 100 pounds of the drugs hidden in secret compartments welded inside the truck's wheel rims. Law enforcement tracked him down on Interstate 85, where he was stopped by a Georgia State Patrol officer.

After getting consent to search the truck, officers took it to a body shop, where agents spent hours cutting out the hidden compartments. The drugs were worth about $1 million, prosecutors say.

The investigation into the case continued and more evidence came to light that Garcia-Martinez ordered the confidential source, who testified during last week's trial, to deliver a kilogram of cocaine to a customer. She did so under the guidance of the DEA, which then seized the drugs.

On Aug. 19, 2015, Garcia-Martinez was tracked to his home in Lawerenceville, where he resisted arrest when confronted by Gwinnett County Police officers.

Villasenor testified that he had been strong-armed into delivering the drugs by the Mexican cartel. He claimed an unknown caller told him his family in Mexico was being watched.

But prosecutors questioned that story. They presented evidence that Villasenor had met with Garcia-Martinez — despite claiming to have never met him — and calling into question other parts of his story.

After deliberating for 45 minutes, the jury returned the guilty verdicts at about 10 p.m. Friday. Sentencing will be scheduled later Both men face a maximum of 60 years in prison and a million-dollar fine.

Photos courtesy Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office