ATLANTA — Federal officials came to Atlanta on Tuesday to announce multi-million dollar rewards for two men they say are responsible for spreading drugs across the U.S.
Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco was at the news conference where rewards were issued for brothers 52-year-old Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga, also known as El Pez, and 41-year-old Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga, also known as El Fresa.
There is a reward of up to $5 million for the arrest of Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga and up to $3 million for the arrest of Jose Hurtado Olascoaga.
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U.S. Department of Justice officials say the brothers are the founders of La Nueva Familia Michoacana, a Mexican cartel that has been spreading drugs across the U.S., including Atlanta.
Both were federally indicted in the Northern District of Georgia in Sept. 2024 on charges of conspiracy to manufacture, import and distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Both men are considered fugitives and are believed to be living in Mexico.
La Familia Nueva Michoacana has now been categorized as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.
During the news conference, officials showed 100 pounds of fentanyl and $300,000 worth of cash, guns and jewelry confiscated in a Douglasville bust on Monday. They say they believe the brothers are behind having it sent to metro Atlanta.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury also announced sanctions against Johnny and Jose Hurtado Olascoaga, as well two more their siblings, Ubalto and Adita Hurtado Olascoaga.
“Today’s indictments and OFAC sanctions against high-ranking LNFM cartel members sends a clear message: if you contribute to the death of Americans by peddling poison into our communities, we will work relentlessly to find you and bring you to justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
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DOJ officials say they have also indicted a Mableton woman for conspiracy to commit international money laundering and more.
They say 48-year-old Guadalupe Tabares Martinez’s brother, 51-year-old Franco Tabares Martinez, is a high-ranking member of La Familia Nueva Michoacana.
Another of their brothers, Uriel Tabares Martinez, was sanctioned by the Dept. of the Treasury, while a fourth sibling, Pablo Tabares Martinez, pleaded guilty to federal drug charges. Their connections with the Mexican cartel have not been confirmed.
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