North Fulton County

DEA: 7 arrested, more than 400 pounds seized in meth lab busts in metro Atlanta

MILTON, Ga. — The Drug Enforcement Administration has arrested at least seven people in a six-county meth manufacturing operation.

The DEA confirmed that agents confiscated 300 pounds of meth at a bust in Milton. A witness said they saw massive police presence and environmental cleanup crew on the property.

The DEA busted a second location in DeKalb County where one man was arrested. Agents said they recovered 120 pounds of meth at a barn in Ellenwood. It's unclear where else agents uncovered operations.

Police said all 7 of the people arrested were from Mexico. It's unclear if they were in the United States legally.

Channel 2's Rikki Klaus was at the home in Milton, where agents said one of the homes could have blown up and may have to be condemned due to toxic waste. Klaus watched as crews disposed of liquid and crystal meth worth more than $1 million dollars.

Crews wore hazmat suits to stay safe. Agents say traffickers use diesel fuel and acetone to convert liquid meth into crystal meth.

"It can be extremely volatile, the chemicals they use," DEA Special Agent Chuvalo Truesdell said.

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Klaus spoke to neighbors who were shocked that the drugs were found so close to home.

"That is an insane amount of drugs, right down the road too," Trevor Weatherby.

"The kids running everywhere, and it's not safe for them," mother Patricia Trambi said.

Truesdell said the home might have to be condemned.

"One pound of methamphetamine produces 5 pounds of toxic waste, so you're dealing with a whole different environmental issue," Truesdell said.

Local firefighters stood by during the investigation, just in case.

"We're here to make sure we're safeguarding the local community," a fireman said.

Agents say each pound of meth is worth $4,000 on the streets, so the bust took about $1.7 million -worth of drugs off the streets.

Klaus was in Doraville Saturday night, where at least one of the suspects was being held in jail. Other suspected drug traffickers were being held in Henry and Clayton county jails.

Agents have not released names or mug shots of the suspects.

Cox Media Group

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