A Georgia traffic stop turned into a jaw-dropping drug bust after officers said they found nearly 25 kilos of fentanyl in a woman’s car, with a child riding along in the back. Celia Lara-Rios, 34, is being held without bond after her attorney withdrew a request on Friday, and prosecutors say she has ties to the ultra-violent Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). Authorities are calling it one of the largest fentanyl seizures in Georgia.
The July arrest, made by Auburn police in Gwinnett County, came with shocking numbers. According to the arrest warrant, Lara-Rios was “knowingly in possession of more than 24,958 grams” of fentanyl, roughly 55 pounds. At two milligrams, considered a potentially deadly dose, that amount could kill over 12 million people, investigators said. The child was in the vehicle at the time Lara-Rios was taken into custody, prosecutors added.
⚠️ WARNING: This post contains descriptions of drug trafficking & child endangerment.
A woman was arrested in Georgia with enough fentanyl in her car to kill approximately 12 million people—and she had a child in the vehicle with her at the time, police say.
Celia Lara-Rios,… pic.twitter.com/y4n59zSdOm
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) September 15, 2025
Lara-Rios now faces two felony counts: trafficking in morphine, opium, or heroin in excess of 28 grams (Georgia’s statute covers fentanyl within that category), and using a communication facility in the commission of a felony involving controlled substances. She’s also being held on an ICE detainer, according to the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office jail log.
Prosecutors say Lara-Rios is linked to CJNG, one of Mexico’s most powerful drug organizations. U.S. authorities have repeatedly warned that CJNG and its rivals mass-produce fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills and ship fentanyl powder into the U.S., a pipeline that has driven lethal overdoses across the country. In recent DEA testing, six out of ten fake prescription pills contained a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl, underscoring how volatile the supply has become.
Gwinnett County, GA: Celia Lara Rios is accused of trafficking 25 kilos of fentanyl for the Mexico based Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
She has an immigration detainer hold. pic.twitter.com/Ue60aI90iM
— Illegal Alien Crimes (@ImmigrantCrimes) September 16, 2025
Fentanyl is extremely potent. Federal agencies warn that the equivalent to a few grains of salt can be lethal depending on a person’s size, tolerance, and whether other drugs are present. Multiply that by nearly 25,000,000 milligrams in 24.958 kilograms, and the math hits the 12-million-plus mark. It’s an illustration of risk, not a suggestion of intended harm, but it explains why law enforcement doesn’t mince words about these seizures.
What’s unclear is that the officials have not said whether the seized narcotics were pure fentanyl or a mixture, which can change potency and risk. That detail, prosecutors noted, is still under review.
What’s next after Friday’s withdrawn bond request? There’s no new court date on the public docket. For now, Lara-Rios remains in the Gwinnett County Jail as the case moves forward. Given the alleged cartel link and the volume of drugs, the bust will likely draw continued attention from state and federal agencies.
The seizure slots into a broader national surge of fentanyl enforcement and overdoses, with authorities urging the public to avoid any pill not directly prescribed by a doctor or dispensed by a pharmacy.
