All of the men are illegal immigrants from Mexico

Illegal immigrant who helped run Cobb meth lab to serve life

By YOLANDA RODRÍGUEZ
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 01/04/08

A man connected to the first meth superlab found in Georgia was sentenced to life in prison Thursday.

The lab was found in a quiet residential neighborhood in Smyrna in February 2005.

U.S. District Court Judge Clarence Cooper sentenced Alfredo Santiago Moreno to life. He was convicted in April after a one-week trial of conspiring to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine; manufacturing methamphetamine; possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute; and maintaining a residence for the purpose of manufacturing methamphetamine.

Three other men in the case pleaded guilty to related charges and were sentenced to long prison terms.

Ramon Oseguera-Alanis, 34, was sentenced to 40 years. Ignacio Cortes-Valencia, 24, was sentenced 21 years, 10 months. Gustavo Lara-Murillo, 31, was sentenced to more than 17 years, 6 months.

All of the men are illegal immigrants from Mexico.

Federal agents, working with local police, found a large-scale factory for making methamphetamine and its more addictive cousin, ice meth, when they raided the home at 200 Church Road.

Inside the home, investigators found nearly 13 pounds of ice methamphetamine. It packaged in one-pound bags — ready for distribution. One pound of the ice meth was found in a vehicle parked in the home’s driveway.

In the basement, they found meth lab equipment.

Other evidence in the case highlights the extent of the operation: 24 large trash bags filled with empty pseudoephedrine tablet boxes and 35 pounds of pure d-pseudoephedrine hydrochloride, essential ingredients in the manufacture of the drugs.
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