Previously deported man accused of trafficking fentanyl from metro Atlanta apartment, officials say

A Mexican national who had been previously deported from the United States is facing charges after authorities say he was found to be trafficking fentanyl from a metro Atlanta apartment.

Abelardo Avila Gomez, 46, is facing charges of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and illegal re-entry by a previously removed alien.

Authorities say that DEA agents executed a federal search warrant of Avila Gomez's apartment in Brookhaven on Feb. 19. There, officials say they found 15 "bricks" of fentanyl that weighed around 37 pounds.

The agents arrested Avila Gomez in the parking lot of the apartment complex and reportedly confirmed that he lived in the apartment that had been searched.

Prosecutors say that Avila Gomez had been reported to Mexico in November 2014 but illegally re-entered the country in 2023.

"With the seizure of 17.9 kilograms of fentanyl, our agents have removed an extraordinary amount of deadly poison from the streets," said Jae W. Chung, special agent in charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. "Fentanyl is measured in milligrams, not grams, and this quantity had the potential to cause catastrophic harm.

Avila Gomez appeared before a U.S. magistrate judge on Monday concerning the charges.

The case remains ongoing.