United States Attorney David E. Nahmias

Northern District of Georgia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Patrick Crosby

08/21/09 (404)581-6016

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan/

FAX (404)581-6160

"OPERATION FOUR HORSEMEN" DISMANTLES TWO MAJOR MEXICAN

DRUG TRAFFICKING CELLS OPERATING IN METRO ATLANTA

Over 400 Kilograms of Cocaine & $21 Million in Cash

program.

United States Attorney David E. Nahmias said of the case, “We commend the DEA

and other agents whose hard work has resulted in shutting down these two groups that

distributed so much cocaine into our communities in Georgia and other states. Operation

Four Horsemen cut off the flow of this poison onto our streets and also seized millions of

dollars of the drug traffickers’ dirty money.”

DEA Atlanta Field Division Special Agent In Charge Rodney G. Benson said, “The

DEA, along with a dynamic level of cooperation between a myriad of federal, state and

local law enforcement agencies, delivered a stunning blow to this once-thriving drug

nearly all of which was seized in the Atlanta area within the past year. In the two

indictments handed down by a federal grand jury, a total of 18 individuals are charged

with various crimes including conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute,

possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and related money laundering offenses.

The indictments also include forfeiture provisions through which the United States seeks

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the forfeiture of all proceeds from the alleged criminal offenses.

The defendants arrested to date in connection with this investigation are:

M ALEJANDRO ACOSTA SOBERANIS, 37, of Mexico

M EDUARDO ANTONIO MORENO-ROSALES, 24, of Mexico

M JOSE LUIS MORALES-SAMANO, 36, of Mexico

M ALEJANDRO SANCHEZ-MORALES, 24, of Mexico

All of the above defendants were arrested in the Atlanta area, with the exception of

ROBERTO CARLOS DE LOS SANTOS, who was arrested in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The

remaining defendants are fugitives, and at least two are believed to be in Mexico.

According to United States Attorney Nahmias, the charges, and other information

presented in court: Beginning in mid-2007, the DEA initiated an investigation which

ultimately uncovered two Mexico-based drug trafficking cells operating in the Atlanta

area. The investigation revealed that the cells operated in a similar fashion, receiving

multi-kilogram shipments of cocaine that arrived in tractor-trailers from Mexico. After

M On September 3, 2008, $1,040,120 in U.S. currency was seized pursuant to a traffic

stop of a tractor-trailer on I-20 in Carroll County. The currency was picked up in Atlanta

and destined for Mexico.

M On December 3, 2008, $1,023,465 in U.S. currency was seized pursuant to a traffic

stop of a tractor-trailer on I-20 in Carroll County. The currency was picked up in Atlanta

and destined for Mexico.

M On December 7, 2008, $8,824,950 in U.S. currency was seized pursuant to a traffic

stop of a tractor-trailer on I-85 in Troup County. The currency was picked up in North

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stop of a vehicle on I-75 in Henry County. The currency was picked up at the Mall of

search warrant on a single-family residence located at 2971 Hollow Mill Lane in Buford.

M On August 4, 2009, agents seized $5,241,180 in U.S. currency which was

concealed inside of a bus parked outside of a hotel on Paces Ferry Road in the Vinings

area. The money is believed to be destined for Mexico. On the same date, agents seized

$179,978 in U.S. currency during the execution of a search warrant on a single-family

residence located at 1290 Beeblossom Trail in Lawrenceville.

The seizures of cocaine include:

M On March 28, 2008, 5 kilograms of cocaine were seized during a traffic stop of a

vehicle near the I-85/I-285 interchange in Gwinnett County. In order to protect the

integrity of the ongoing federal investigation, the two occupants of the vehicle were

prosecuted in Gwinnett County Superior Court.

M On August 25, 2008, 79 kilograms of cocaine were seized during the traffic stop of

a vehicle on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road. The driver is also being prosecuted in

a Kroger parking lot off of Cascade Road. After stopping for the police on I-285,

SANTOS fled into the woods and was ultimately apprehended in Tulsa, Oklahoma, three

weeks later.

revealed that ALEJANDRO ACOSTA SOBERANIS, another alleged Atlanta-based cell-

head, had received approximately 103 kilograms of cocaine from a Mexico-based source

of supply. Several days later, on July 7, 2009, at approximately 3:00 a.m., EDUARDO

ANTONIO MORENO-ROSALES and JOSE LOMBERA-MONJE were stopped by the

Georgia State Patrol on I-85 while allegedly attempting to transport a portion of the

cocaine to North Carolina at SOBERANIS' direction. MORENO- ROSALES was

operating an Infiniti vehicle and LOMBERA-MONJE was following MORENO-

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Buford, which uncovered 77 kilograms of cocaine in the trunk of a vehicle parked in the

Atlanta-based cell head for the other organization, to a bus that was parked behind a La

Quinta Inn on Paces Ferry Road near I-285. At that time, agents observed MACIEL-

MACEDO and OSMIN ZUMAYA-AZUARA transfer multiple kilograms of suspected

cocaine from the bus to MACIEL-MACEDO's vehicle. In addition, MACIEL-MACEDO

executed federal search warrants on both of the above residences, locating 130 kilograms

cocaine in the Beeblossum home and 20 kilograms of cocaine at the Northridge residence.

ALEJANDRO SANCHEZ-MORALES was arrested inside the Northridge residence.

Shortly after executing these search warrants, agents executed a federal search warrant on

the bus, where they found a concealed stash of $5,241,180 in cash.

The narcotics charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of up to

$4,000,000. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States

Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges

for most offenders.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the DEA, with valuable

assistance by the Georgia State Patrol, Lawrenceville Police Department, the Henry

County Sheriff's Department, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI).

Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Herskowitz and Jeffrey Viscomi are

prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us),

United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States

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Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney's Office, at (404)