Atlanta, Georgia, has earned the reputation as the state’s primary drug trafficking capital, serving as a central hub for the distribution and movement of illicit drugs throughout the southeastern United States. This status is driven by its strategic location, robust transportation infrastructure, and the presence of large-scale trafficking organizations.
Atlanta’s Role as a Distribution Hub
Atlanta’s prominence in drug trafficking is largely due to its position as a major interstate crossroads. The convergence of Interstates 20, 75, and 85 in the city provides traffickers with direct routes from the Southwest border states (such as Texas, Arizona, and California) to key eastern U.S. drug markets.
This makes Atlanta an attractive location for drug cartels, particularly Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), to establish distribution and cash consolidation operations.
These organizations use Atlanta as a staging point, moving drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and heroin not only into Georgia but also to major cities across the eastern United States—including New York, Charlotte, Nashville, and even as far as Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Types of Drugs Trafficked
The main drugs distributed through Atlanta include:…