Illegal alien faces federal charges for distributing kilograms of purple fentanyl

ATLANTA - Martin Armando Gonzalez-Martinez, an illegal alien working directly with Mexico-based drug traffickers, appeared in federal court on charges related to his alleged distribution of purple fentanyl in the Atlanta area.

"Fentanyl is so extremely dangerous that just a couple milligrams can be lethal," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "My office proudly partners with law enforcement to identify, arrest, and prosecute individuals who, while illegally present in our country, traffic this deadly drug, which is responsible for killing tens of thousands of Americans every year."

"Fentanyl traffickers continue to push dangerous and deceptive products into our communities, and the distribution of kilograms of purple fentanyl represents a significant threat to public safety," said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. "These federal charges reflect our unwavering commitment to protect the public and disrupt the criminal organizations responsible for this deadly trade. As part of the DEA's Fentanyl Free America initiative, we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to stop fentanyl at every level of distribution."

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Gonzalez-Martinez is an illegal alien who entered the United States by illegally crossing the southwest border several years ago. Gonzalez-Martinez then allegedly began to distribute drugs, including fentanyl, in the Atlanta area.

On March 4, 2026, Gonzalez-Martinez allegedly attempted to sell approximately four kilograms of fentanyl in the parking lot of a business in Morrow, Georgia. When a customer arrived, Gonzalez-Martinez displayed the drugs in his backpack. As Gonzalez-Martinez returned to his car, DEA agents arrested him and searched his backpack, which was full of suspected fentanyl.

Last week, Martin Armando Gonzalez-Martinez, 22, of Oaxaca, Mexico appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge on a criminal complaint that charged him with possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government's burden to prove the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with valuable assistance provided by the Georgia State Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. LaGrone is prosecuting the case.

This case 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 (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.