Jackelyne Marroquin, a resident of Carrollton, Georgia, has pleaded guilty to charges of possessing with intent to distribute more than 760 pounds of methamphetamine and harboring illegal aliens in connection with a drug trafficking operation in the Atlanta area.
“Marroquin harbored illegal aliens to operate a metro-Atlanta drug distribution ring,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of unwavering law enforcement dedication, this insidious trafficking network has been dismantled, and well over a million dollars’ worth of lethal drugs have been removed from our streets. The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will continue to protect the public by ensuring North Georgia is never a haven for criminal cartels.”
“Today’s guilty plea reinforces that DEA will not tolerate drug traffickers,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Those who fuel the drug trade while putting communities and vulnerable individuals at risk will face serious consequences.”
“Jackelyne Marroquin trafficked illicit drugs and utilized illegal aliens in the furtherance of that crime,” said John B. Stevens, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal. “The U.S. Marshals, along with our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, will never stop our pursuit of criminals. The mission of enhancing public safety is vital, and we are honored that it is our responsibility. No matter how long a criminal runs, we will find them, and they will pay.”
Court documents indicate that Marroquin rented a home in Stone Mountain in March 2024 for use by a drug trafficking organization as storage and distribution for large amounts of methamphetamine imported from Mexico concealed in charcoal bags. Agents found methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), used by traffickers to dilute methamphetamine for profit, at several stash houses including this location.
On April 2, 2024, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and local police executed a search warrant at the residence where they discovered approximately 760 pounds of nearly pure methamphetamine valued between $1.45 million and $1.9 million on the street market. Two Mexican nationals living at the house—Jonathan Guzman Esquivel and Alfonso Calderon-Rodriguez—were identified as participants in distributing drugs from this location; both had previously pleaded guilty to similar charges.
Authorities determined Marroquin provided these individuals access to her rented residence as well as financial support for expenses.
Sentencing for Marroquin is scheduled for April 23, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg.
Guzman Esquivel and Calderon-Rodriguez were each sentenced in late 2024 to five years ten months imprisonment followed by three years supervised release.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and U.S Marshals Service with assistance from DeKalb County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Unit (HIDTA) and Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S Attorney Matthew LaGrone is prosecuting with assistance from former Assistant U.S Attorney Amy M Palumbo.
This case forms part of Operation Take Back America—a national initiative led by federal agencies aimed at countering illegal immigration-related crimes including cartel activity—and falls under efforts coordinated through Executive Order 14159 via Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). HSTF brings together federal agencies such as ATF, DEA, FBI among others along with state/local authorities under direction from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, which serves as principal federal law enforcement agency across north Georgia covering millions of residents (source). The office prosecutes cases involving threats like terrorism or human trafficking (source), collaborates nationally/internationally (source), operates primarily out of Atlanta (source), covers areas bordering Alabama/Carolinas (source), enforces criminal/civil laws (source), prioritizes prosecution against various threats (source) including those related to violent crime or organized criminal organizations.
For more information about dangers associated with drugs visit www.justthinktwice.gov.
