Previously Deported Illegal Alien Faces Federal Methamphetamine and Immigration Charges after Gainesville Bust

GAINESVILLE - Pedro Guadarrama Loza, a convicted felon and previously deported illegal alien from Mexico, faces federal drug trafficking and immigration charges after the seizure of more than 275 pounds of methamphetamine shipped from Mexico.

"This illegal alien, convicted felon, and drug dealer allegedly attempted to coordinate the trafficking of a massive amount of methamphetamine in North Georgia," said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. "Due to the skilled coordination of our law enforcement partners, a load of deadly drugs concealed in industrial powder was seized, and Loza now faces serious charges in federal court."

"This seizure represents a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to disrupt the flow of dangerous narcotics into our communities. By working closely with our local and federal partners, HSI agents successfully intercepted over 275 pounds of methamphetamine and apprehended an individual who had already been removed from the United States," said Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. "HSI and its partners will continue to utilize all available resources to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who threaten the safety of our communities by trafficking illicit drugs."

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 29, 2026, law enforcement identified a suspicious shipment of five boxes from Mexico en route to the Gainesville, Georgia area. Inside the boxes, law enforcement discovered plastic bags, each of which contained a black industrial powder that tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine. The methamphetamine-laden powder in the boxes weighed a total of 277 pounds.

On August 12, 2026, agents delivered the boxes to the recipient address, a residence in Gainesville, Georgia, in an undercover operation. Shortly thereafter, Loza allegedly emerged from the residence, took possession of the boxes, and went inside. Agents executed a federal search warrant on the residence, seized the boxes, and arrested Loza, who was attempting to flee out of the back door.

The investigation further revealed that Loza was convicted in 2014 of trafficking in controlled substances in DeKalb County, Georgia and was removed to Mexico in 2017, after completing his prison sentence. Sometime thereafter, Loza allegedly re-entered the United States without legal authority.

Yesterday, Pedro Guadarrama Loza, 38, of Michoacán, Mexico, appeared in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and illegal reentry by a previously removed alien. Loza was ordered to be detained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending further proceedings.

Members of the public are reminded that the criminal complaint contains only 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 Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Hall County Sheriff's Office.

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.

Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Herskowitz and Drew Waldbeser are prosecuting the case.

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.