ATLANTA, Ga. — A 50-year-old man was arrested in Guatemala and extradited to the United States after being accused of running a drug cartel in Atlanta.

Pablo Tabares-Martinez, a member of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel, was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison with supervised release after being convicted for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, “La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel is a violent Mexican cartel responsible for the annual transportation, importation, and distribution of approximately 12 tons of methamphetamine, 13 tons of opioids, including heroin and fentanyl, and 18 tons of cocaine in the United States.”

In November 2021, Tabares-Martinez, who resided in Mexico, is accused of orchestrating the sale of one kilogram of methamphetamine to an individual in the Atlanta area.

After the transaction was complete, Tabares-Martinez is accused of contacting the purchaser to confirm the methamphetamine was high quality.

“In 2022 and 2023, Tabares-Martinez and other LNFM members established a transportation route for 150 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Atlanta, Georgia. In March 2023, local law enforcement arrested Tabares-Martinez after he traveled to Guatemala to inspect the cocaine,” officials said.

Tabares-Martinez was convicted on January after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America and is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Laurel B. Milam prosecuted the case.