Atlanta, GA – Federal authorities have unsealed indictments charging the top leadership of the violent Mexican cartel La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) and an Atlanta-based money laundering network with a sprawling criminal conspiracy to traffic deadly drugs into the United States and funnel proceeds back to Mexico.
Siblings and cartel leaders Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga—also known as El Pez, Pescado, and Mojarra—and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, known as El Fresa, El Feyo, and La Fruta, have been charged with conspiracy to manufacture, import, and distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. Both are fugitives believed to be residing in Guerrero, Mexico.
Kingpins Behind Massive U.S. Drug Operations
The Hurtado brothers, co-founders and leaders of LNFM, allegedly directed a large-scale narcotics smuggling operation, transporting tons of drugs from Mexico into major U.S. cities, including Atlanta. The federal indictment, returned by a grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia, also implicates them in a conspiracy to traffic deadly drugs across international borders and launder the resulting proceeds.
LNFM has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) by the U.S. State Department as of February 2024. The U.S. is now offering $5 million for information leading to the arrest of Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and $3 million for his brother Jose Alfredo.
The Department of State announced a Narcotics Rewards Program offer
of up to $5 million and $3 million, respectively, for information leading to the arrests or convictions of Johnny and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga.
In tandem with the indictments, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced new sanctions against the Hurtado brothers and two of their siblings, Ubaldo and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga, who are also believed to be active members of the LNFM cartel.
“Today’s action underscores our commitment to intensify the pressure on violent drug cartels like LNFM, who continue to traffic deadly fentanyl and other drugs, smuggle illegal aliens over our Southwest border, and attack law enforcement,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to target the cartels and other violent organizations that attempt to exploit our communities and harm Americans.”
Atlanta-Based Money Launderer Also Indicted
Federal authorities also charged Guadalupe Tabares Martinez, an Atlanta resident and sister to a known LNFM cartel member, with conspiracy to commit international money laundering and operating an unlicensed money services business. She allegedly operated Noyola Multiservice, a business used to launder hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug trafficking proceeds by wiring bulk currency to associates in Mexico.
Her brother, Franco Tabares Martinez, a high-ranking LNFM member, was previously indicted in July 2023 and sanctioned by OFAC. He’s accused of trafficking multi-kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in the Atlanta area. Another brother, Pablo Tabares Martinez, pleaded guilty earlier this year to drug conspiracy charges. A third brother, Uriel Tabares Martinez, was sanctioned in June 2024.
“These cartel members are allegedly responsible for importing massive amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl from Mexico to the Atlanta area and across the United States,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. “They then wired the proceeds of this poison back to Mexico. These indictments and sanctions send a powerful message: we will investigate, prosecute, and dismantle those who threaten our communities.”
Attorney General Pamela Bondi echoed the Justice Department’s tough stance:
“If you contribute to the death of Americans by peddling poison into our communities, we will work relentlessly to find you and bring you to justice.”
The investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a Justice Department initiative aimed at eliminating transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels. The operation utilizes the resources of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) to dismantle the infrastructure of drug trafficking and money laundering networks.
The Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force, named after late DEA Special Agent David G. Wilhelm, coordinated the investigation. It includes personnel from the DEA, HSI, FBI, IRS, and numerous state and local agencies. The Strike Force’s mission is to take down Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs) like the Hurtado brothers and their associates.
Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent emphasized that the Trump administration will continue using “all available tools” to disrupt the operations of cartels like LNFM, which he said “smuggle drugs, engage in violence, and undermine public safety.”
The charges stem from a multi-year investigation launched in 2021 by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), focused on methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and fentanyl trafficking across the U.S.-Mexico border.
“Cases like this exemplify the value of partnerships,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung. “This investigation demonstrates our commitment to protecting our community by destroying these drug trafficking organizations.”
Special Agent in Charge Steven N. Schrank of HSI in Georgia and Alabama stated:
“We are not only seizing their drugs and arresting their members—we are cutting off their money, dismantling their infrastructure, and bringing their leaders to justice.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Laurel Milam and Bethany Rupert are prosecuting the case in the Northern District of Georgia, with support from Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrison of the Middle District of Georgia.
