La Nueva Familia Michoacana Drug Cartel Member Sentenced to Federal Prison

ATLANTA - Pablo Tabares-Martinez, 50, a member of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel who was arrested in Guatemala and extradited to the United States, will serve a ten-year prison sentence following his conviction for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

“The successful extradition and prosecution of Tabares-Martinez reflect my office’s commitment to eliminating dangerous cartels that seek to introduce drugs into our community,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This case also sends a strong message to cartel members who transport deadly drugs destined for the Northern District of Georgia: we will find you and bring you here to face justice.”

“This investigation demonstrates DEA’s commitment to protecting our communities,” said Jae W. Chung, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division.  “DEA remains focused on keeping America safe by removing dangerous drugs from our communities and bringing criminals to justice.”

“We will relentlessly pursue and dismantle cartels and criminal organizations that threaten our communities with deadly drugs,” said Steven N. Schrank, the Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama. “The extradition and conviction of Pablo Tabares-Martinez, a key member of the La Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel, is a direct result of the unwavering dedication of HSI and our law enforcement partners to eradicate these dangerous criminal organizations from our society.”

According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: The La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel is a violent Mexican cartel responsible for the annual transportation, importation, and distribution of approximately 12 tons of methamphetamine, 13 tons of opioids, including heroin and fentanyl, and 18 tons of cocaine in the United States. On November 16, 2021, Tabares-Martinez, who resided in Mexico and was a mid-level member of LNFM, orchestrated the sale of one kilogram of methamphetamine to an individual in the Atlanta area. After the transaction was complete, Tabares-Martinez contacted the purchaser to confirm the methamphetamine was high quality. 

In 2022 and 2023, Tabares-Martinez and other LNFM members established a transportation route for 150 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Atlanta, Georgia. In March 2023, local law enforcement arrested Tabares-Martinez after he traveled to Guatemala to inspect the cocaine. In November 2023, Tabares-Martinez was extradited to the Northern District of Georgia, where he has remained in federal custody. 

Earlier today, Chief United States District Judge Leigh Martin May sentenced Tabares-Martinez to ten years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Tabares-Martinez was convicted on January 13, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.

This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. Guatemalan law enforcement provided valuable assistance in the arrest of Tabares-Martinez.

Assistant United States Attorneys Bethany L. Rupert and Laurel B. Milam prosecuted the case.

This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to eliminate the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.

The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (Atlanta Strike Force) is to eliminate transnational organized crime syndicates and major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Atlanta Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets, Regional Priority Organization Targets, and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.