Omar Cuenca-Marino, the alleged leader of Mexico’s Los Rojos drug cartel, now faces federal charges in Georgia after being extradited to the United States. The 41-year-old Mexican national is accused of orchestrating the importation of massive quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin into the U.S.
The Details: Cuenca-Marino was arraigned before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell Vineyard on charges of drug trafficking conspiracy and money laundering. According to prosecutors, he directed a sophisticated operation that smuggled drugs across the border using buses and tractor-trailers, then collected millions in drug proceeds to be transported back to Mexico.
The indictment stems from a years-long investigation that linked Cuenca-Marino to several major drug seizures in Georgia between 2013 and 2016.
By The Numbers: Law enforcement seized approximately 75 kilograms of methamphetamine, 23 kilograms of heroin, and 47 kilograms of cocaine during an October 2013 operation in Vinings and Hiram. In November 2015, officers confiscated 76 packages of cocaine in Duluth. A February 2016 traffic stop in Missouri yielded $425,900 in drug proceeds allegedly connected to Cuenca-Marino’s operation.
In Context: The case represents part of a broader effort to combat transnational drug trafficking through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Strike Force Initiative. The Atlanta-based task force specifically targets major drug trafficking organizations operating in Georgia.
The Quote: “This prosecution sends a strong message to the cartels and their leadership, no matter where they reside: you will face justice,” Acting U.S. Attorney Richard Moultrie Jr. said.
Cuenca-Marino was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2016, though court documents don’t specify when he was arrested in Mexico or when the extradition occurred. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
