ATLANTA – Federal authorities say a “high-level drug trafficker” who used 18-wheelers to traffic drugs from Mexico into the Atlanta area has pleaded guilty to numerous federal drug charges.
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia, Orfael Macedo Bustos, 52, who was extradited to the United States from Mexico late last year, has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges in connection with the importation of large quantities of cocaine from Mexico to metro Atlanta.
Bustos of Guerrero, Mexico, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine after a federal grand jury indicted him in December 2018. In November 2025, Macedo Bustos was extradited from Mexico to the Northern District of Georgia, and he has been in federal custody since that time.
“Macedo Bustos introduced massive amounts of cocaine into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of strong agency partnerships through the Homeland Security Task Force and valuable international coordination, Macedo Bustos now faces a significant sentence in federal prison and millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine have been taken off the street.”
According to a press release, beginning in 2017, federal law enforcement identified a drug trafficking organization that was importing large quantities of cocaine from Mexico into the United States. Macedo Bustos, one of the organization’s leaders and primary drug suppliers, coordinated with others to transport cocaine, usually via tractor-trailers, to the metro Atlanta area for distribution.
During the investigation, federal authorities seized at least five large shipments of cocaine from tractor-trailers, including:
44 pounds of cocaine in October 2017 in Fulton County, Georgia;
30 pounds of cocaine in November 2017 in Fulton County, Georgia;
44 pounds of cocaine in February 2018 in Fulton County, Georgia;
33 pounds of cocaine in April 2018 in Cobb County, Georgia; and
22 pounds of cocaine in November 2018 in Fulton County, Georgia.
“International drug traffickers often believe they can operate beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Today’s guilty plea proves otherwise. By working alongside our law enforcement partners, DEA will continue targeting the organizations responsible for transporting massive quantities of cocaine into our communities and ensuring those who profit from this criminal activity are held accountable.”
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 15
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
