(The Center Square) – Agents in the FBI and other law enforcement have shuttered what they say is a major methamphetamine trafficking operation in Georgia.
The arrests of 12 suspects in Operation Take Back America are linked to a seizure of more than 3,200 kilograms of methamphetamine hiding in boxes of jalapeños from Mexico. Meth, as it is commonly known, is a man-made stimulant, highly addictive, and produced in varying forms of powder and rock-like chunks.
For suspects pleading guilty, sentencing of seven is scheduled Jan. 12, another is Feb. 11, and four have already been sentenced. The ages are from 22 to 60; six are from Georgia, four from Mexico and two from Alabama; and the longest sentence thus far is 12 years, four months for a 46-year-old from LaGrange.
James Len Ramey, a 53-year-old from Comer, is facing life in prison with a minimum 10 years in prison and $10 million fine for his role. Prosecutors, led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison, say he sold methamphetamine from the Athens’ location of Rapid Lube where he worked.
The FBI probe starting in January 2024, prosecutors say, uncovered a trail for the meth from Mexico to a house on Mountain Creek Church Road in the Walton County community of Monroe. Hundreds of pounds of rotting jalapeños and discarded jalapeño boxes in the backyard of the house were found Aug. 13, 2024, through a federal search warrant for the residence and a Chevrolet Traverse operated by three of the suspects.
Inside the vehicle, prosecutors say lawmen found 983.3 grams of pure methamphetamine and $4,350 in cash. The house was used as a methamphetamine conversation laboratory, according to testimony.
The Department of Justice said in part, “The collaborative effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.”
