ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents arrested 38-year-old Pedro Guadarrama-Loza, a convicted felon and previously deported Mexican national, far from the U.S.-Mexico border region. Loza was arrested on suspicion of federal drug trafficking and immigration charges after the seizure of more than 275 pounds of methamphetamine shipped from Mexico.
According to court documents, on July 29, 2026, law enforcement officers were alerted to a suspicious shipment of five boxes originating in Mexico and being sent to an address in the Gainesville, Georgia, area. During the initial stages of the investigation, officers discovered numerous plastic bags that contained a black industrial powder that later tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine. In all, the methamphetamine shipment within the boxes weighed 277 pounds.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, on August 12, 2026, investigating agents delivered the boxes to the address listed on the boxes, a residence in Gainesville, Georgia, as part of an undercover operation to identify the recipient.
After the boxes were delivered, suspect Loza allegedly emerged from the residence, took possession of them, and went back inside. HSI agents executed a federal search warrant on the residence, seized the boxes, and arrested Loza, who, according to authorities, was attempting to flee out of the back door and escape apprehension.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Loza is no stranger to the law enforcement community. According to ICE, Guadarrama claims to have initially made his illegal entry in Texas in 2004. Records checks conducted by law enforcement officers show he was deported to Mexico for the first time in May 2008. After re-entering illegally once again near Eagle Pass, Texas, he was deported for the second time after serving a sentence for trafficking in controlled substances in DeKalb County, Georgia in 2017.
Loza, of Michoacán, Mexico, has made his first appearance in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and for illegal reentry by a previously removed alien. Loza is being held in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial.
Steven N. Schrank, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama, commented on the case, saying, “This seizure represents a significant victory in our ongoing efforts to disrupt the flow of dangerous narcotics into our communities. By working closely with our local and federal partners, HSI agents successfully intercepted over 275 pounds of methamphetamine and apprehended an individual who had already been removed from the United States. HSI and its partners will continue to utilize all available resources to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who threaten the safety of our communities by trafficking illicit drugs.”
This case continues to be investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.