Feds bust Georgia meth ring that hid 3,200 kilos in jalapeño shipments

ATLANTA - Federal authorities say a dozen people tied to a massive methamphetamine trafficking ring that funneled more than 3,200 kilograms of drugs from Mexico to Georgia are now facing federal sentences following an extensive Operation Take Back America investigation.

What we know:

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia, the organization hid methamphetamine inside boxes of jalapeños shipped from Mexico and transported the drugs to a conversion lab inside a home on Mountain Creek Church Road in Monroe. From there, investigators say kilograms of finished meth were distributed across northeast Georgia, including from a car maintenance shop in Athens.

The FBI, DEA, GBI, Walton County Sheriff’s Office, Athens-Clarke County Police and Georgia State Patrol spent months monitoring the operation, using pole cameras, confidential informants and surveillance to track shipments and controlled buys. Agents ultimately raided the conversion site in August 2024, discovering a functioning lab, more than four kilograms of crystal meth, nearly a kilogram of meth in a vehicle, large amounts of cash and hundreds of pounds of discarded jalapeños used to conceal the drugs.

A handwritten drug ledger showed more than 1,500 kilograms of meth had been converted at the home over several months, while a total of 3,200 kilograms had been shipped to the location in four separate jalapeño shipments.

Several defendants have pleaded guilty and face mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years to life in federal prison. Others have already been sentenced to terms ranging from home confinement to more than 24 years in prison. Sentencing for additional co-conspirators is scheduled for early 2026.

Sentencing Jan. 12, 2026

James Len Ramey, 53, Comer, GA

• Guilty: Conspiracy + possession with intent to distribute meth
• Faces: 10 years to life, up to $10 million fine
• Kendell Cawthon, 60, Baldwin, GA
• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth
• Faces: 10 years to life, up to $10 million fine

Bonterris Turner, 45, Athens, GA

• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth
• Faces: 10 years to life, up to $10 million fine

Demetrius Appling, 38, Crawford, GA

• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth
• Faces: 10 years to life, up to $10 million fine

Yirla Adame Gomez, 25, Mexico

• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth
• Faces: 10 years to life, up to $10 million fine

Rafael Gomez Flores, 22, Mexico

• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth
• Faces: 10 years to life, up to $10 million fine

Andrea Robinson, 42, Cleveland, GA

• Guilty: Possession with intent to distribute meth
• Faces: Up to 20 years, up to $250,000 fine

Sentencing Feb. 11, 2026

Yuretzi Adame Gomez, 40, Mexico

• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth
• Faces: 10 years to life, up to $10 million fine

Already Sentenced

Christopher Hyatt, 46, LaGrange, GA

• Sentence: 292 months (24.3 years) + 5 years supervised release
• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth

Uriel Garcia, 34, Mexico

• Sentence: 240 months (20 years) + 5 years supervised release
• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth & cocaine

Jared Kenyatta Calhoun, 33, Birmingham, AL

• Sentence: 210 months (17.5 years) + 5 years supervised release
• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth

Ebony Jones-Tate, 33, Birmingham, AL

• Sentence: 90 days home confinement + 3 years supervised release
• Guilty: Conspiracy to distribute meth

What they're saying:

Federal, state and local officials said the case represents a major blow to a transnational cartel-linked network operating in Georgia and praised the cooperative work among agencies.

AtlantaCrime and Public SafetyNews