A methamphetamine conversion lab at a Buford residence was shut down Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, and two men face drug trafficking charges following a multi-agency investigation.

Gerardo Valencia-Cervantes 29, of Deland, Fla., and Ismael Marin-Urbina, 36, of
Jonesboro, were arrested and charged with trafficking methamphetamine at a residence in the 4000 block of Peachtree Drive in Buford.

The collaborative investigation was conducted by the Gainesville/Hall County Multi-Agency Narcotics Squad, Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The DEA’s Clandestine Laboratory Enforcement Team executed a federal search warrant at the
residence and found numerous containers filled with methamphetamine oil, as well as containers filled with a mixture of paint and methamphetamine oil. According to a preliminary investigation, the drug trafficking organization transported methamphetamine-infused paint to the residence, where the drug was extracted and then converted into a solid crystal form for distribution and sale to users.

Agents recovered enough methamphetamine oil to equate to approximately 60 kilograms of
methamphetamine with a street value of $6 million.

Both suspects remained in the Hall County Jail without bond on Friday, Feb. 5.

— Staff Reports