What looked like a run‑down repair yard off a rural Georgia highway has been exposed as a fully equipped cartel base, after a joint raid by FBI, DEA and state authorities uncovered an arsenal and a lethal stash of synthetic drugs.

At first light, tactical teams rolled through a rusted gate flanked by junked cars and broken trailers. Behind the scrap metal façade, agents found 26 firearms — including modified rifles, ghost guns and a belt‑fed machine gun — stacked alongside crates of ammunition. The most chilling discovery: a military‑style grenade launcher with several live rounds, hidden beneath a false floor in a shipping container.

In adjoining sheds, investigators say they seized bulk fentanyl powder, counterfeit pills, pill presses and packaging gear, all part of a pipeline pushing product into Atlanta and neighboring states. Whiteboards mapped out distribution routes by interstate exit, while a DVR system fed live camera views from surrounding roads, giving the crew minutes of warning if police approached.

Several suspects tried to flee through nearby woods before being tracked by drones and K‑9 teams. Officials warn the site shows how far cartels are willing to go — turning forgotten corners of rural America into fortified hubs for both drugs and weapons of war.