Violent Drug Dealer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking Kilograms of Fentanyl Hidden in Car Batteries, Fentanyl Pills, and Methamphetamine

ATLANTA - Gabriel Ojeda Murguia, a violent criminal with a history of hurting other people, was sentenced to nine years in prison after his conviction for trafficking over 25 kilograms of fentanyl and other drugs in the Atlanta area.

"The obscene amount of fentanyl Murguia possessed posed a significant threat to public health and public safety. If law enforcement had not stopped it from hitting the street, this poison could have ended tens of thousands of lives," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "The success of this operation came from the coordinated teamwork of multiple federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in our Homeland Security Task Force."

"Murguia was moving an extraordinary amount of fentanyl into our communities, putting countless lives at risk for profit," said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. "This investigation and sentencing demonstrate the impact we can have when federal, state, and local law enforcement work together to stop dangerous drugs before they reach the streets."

"This sentence demonstrates what can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies work together with a common goal, which is protecting our communities from the deadly threat of fentanyl," said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. "Our joint law enforcement efforts with the Homeland Security Task Force will continue to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those responsible for trafficking these dangerous drugs. Together, we are working toward safer communities and a Fentanyl-Free America."

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between April 2024 and April 2025, Gabriel Ojeda Murguia, a/k/a "Taliban," sold fentanyl and methamphetamine on several occasions in Gwinnett County. Over two transactions, Murguia sold more than 100 grams of fentanyl powder. In another, he sold over 2,000 fentanyl pills. He had previously sold a kilogram of methamphetamine for $2,700 and offered to sell cocaine for $18,000 per kilogram.

On April 17, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on a Lilburn, Georgia residence after observing Murguia enter the home. During the search, agents found approximately 25 kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, including at least 15 kilograms of fentanyl hidden inside vehicle batteries. Murguia and another man were both arrested that same day. Murguia was previously convicted of battery and family violence battery.

On August 12, 2026, United States District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. sentenced Gabriel Ojeda Murguia, a/k/a Taliban, 46, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, to nine years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Murguia was convicted on May 4, 2026, after he pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and conspiring to possess fentanyl with the intent to distribute.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with substantial assistance from the Gwinnett County Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol.

Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas M. Forsyth III and Sara Lim prosecuted the case.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Atlanta comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney's Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.