Two Gwinnett County men were among 22 people arrested Wednesday after federal authorities said they busted a Middle Georgia methamphetamine ring with ties to metro Atlanta.

The 17-count indictment unsealed Wednesday morning revealed the names of suspects booked on federal drug trafficking charges, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.

Noe Canela, 32, of Lilburn, and Nicholas Cuevas-Flores, 36, of Lawrenceville, were both indicted on a count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. They face the possibility of a life prison sentence if convicted, according to federal authorities.

The two were the only Atlanta area suspects arrested. All of the other suspects are Milledgeville residents who range in age from 20 to 66, the news release indicates.

Each of them face at least 10-year prison sentences. The charges in the indictments range from meth distribution to possessing a firearm while trafficking drugs.

The FBI, GBI and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration were among the agencies that participated in the investigation.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia Power's Plant Bowen in Cartersville is shown. The utility wants to add about 10,000 megawatts of power supplies in just five years, mainly to serve data centers. (Hyosyb Shin/AJC 2015)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Featured

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney — pictured during a hearing Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — has cleared the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC