NE Georgia fentanyl trafficking operation taken down

The following was released this afternoon by the Gwinnett County Police Department dated:

Gwinnett County, Ga., September 16, 2025) – In August, the Gwinnett Metro Task Force (GMTF) and GBI’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO) executed five search warrants in Buford. This initiated the first phase of an investigation into a fentanyl Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), allegedly led by Adrian Bernard Butler. As a result, 24 people were arrested and charged in Gwinnett County. 

The Butler DTO distributed and trafficked fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine throughout Buford, Flowery Branch, and Gainesville within Gwinnett County. The organization also operated in Forsyth, Jackson, Habersham, Lumpkin counties, and throughout northeast Georgia. This investigation led to the seizure of trafficking amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine, as well as pounds of marijuana and multiple firearms.

Law enforcement is actively investigating multiple fentanyl overdose deaths connected to the Butler DTO, and additional charges are imminent. Evidence from this investigation is expected to generate leads on outstanding opioid overdoses and ongoing drug trafficking cases.

The following agencies assisted GMTF and GBI ARDEO in this investigation:

• Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program

• GBI Metro Gang Task Force

• Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office

• Gwinnett County Police Department

• United States Marshals

• University of North Georgia Digital Intelligence Unit

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office urges residents to remain alert and report suspicious activity. To submit a tip, call 770.619.6655 or visit GwinnettCountySheriff.org. Additionally, you are encouraged to call GBI ARDEO at 706.348.7410 for information related to drug activity. Click here for information on the arrested suspects and photos.

The Gwinnett Metro Task Force (GMTF) is a collaboration of multiple agencies, led by the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office. It includes Duluth, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Auburn, and Suwanee Police Departments. Units within the GCSO Field Operations Division that also assisted include Gangs, Trafficking and Child Exploitation (TRACE), Fugitives, Jail Intelligence, Crime and Intelligence, K-9, and Uniform Warrants.

The GBI’s Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office (ARDEO) is a multi-agency unit that covers 30 counties in North Georgia. It consists of sheriff’s offices and police departments in White County, Lumpkin County, Banks County, Jackson County, Habersham County, Stephens County, Rabun County, Franklin County, Gilmer County, Fannin County, Cleveland Police Department, Flowery Branch Police Department, and Toccoa Police Department, along with Georgia National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, Georgia State Patrol, and Georgia Department of Community Supervision.