breaking

Two Men Sentenced to 15 Years for 700-Pound Meth Smuggle in Produce Load

Federal judges have imposed 15-year prison sentences on two men caught moving more than 700 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in a cucumber shipment outside Gainesville, Georgia. DEA agents conducted surveillance at a warehouse on June 30, 2025, leading to the discovery of thousands of individually wrapped drug packages hidden among 20 pallets of produce boxes. Rufino Pineda-Perez, 61, received his sentence Wednesday, while co-defendant Jasso, 39, was sentenced July 17. Both men pleaded guilty March 11 to conspiracy to possess methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Pineda-Perez also pleaded guilty to illegal reentry into the United States. Court records indicate Pineda-Perez is a Mexican national who was previously convicted in Arizona in 2001 for marijuana transportation and deported. He was encountered again by federal agents during a 2014 Atlanta-area cocaine transport investigation. A judge imposed a six-and-a-half-year term in 2015, followed by another deportation. Both defendants face 10 years of supervised release following their prison terms.