09-07-2025
Shocking secret of couple who moved to picture-perfect neighborhood
A picture-perfect Georgia neighborhood was left stunned last week after a Venezuelan couple was busted with a stash of drugs at their home.
Héctor Luzardo, 35, and Gelis Martínez, 41, were taken into custody following a raid last Wednesday in their picture-perfect neighborhood in Norcross, 15 miles northeast of Atlanta.
Agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations seized more than 400 grams of cocaine and more than 400 grams of methamphetamine that were hidden in the master bedroom closet, according to court records.
Luzardo and Martínez, who are facing felony drug trafficking charges, were denied bail and are facing deportation after Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] requested holds, according to the Gwinnet County Sheriff's Office.
The couple had moved into the peaceful neighborhood on Omaha Drive last year and alarmed neighbors with suspicious activity, WSB TV reported.
The three-bedroom, 2,034 square foot residence is set on a 6.098 square foot lot and was built in 1992, according to Redfin, a real estate company.
The home was last sold in July 2000 for $145,000 and is currently valued at about $364,000.
Retired couple Jill and David Balthaser told the station that were worried about the safety in the neighborhood they have called home for 23 years.
Gelis Martínez is facing deportation after ICE placed a hold on her and Hector Luzardo following their arrest on drug charges July 2
'I'm glad they're gone,' David said. 'If they're going to operate drugs and so forth, get them out.'
Luzardo's previous brush with the law came on May 15, 2022 when he opened fire on one of his taxi customers after dropping them off at apartment complex in Duluth.
Gwinnett County cops arrested him 11 days later at his home in Buford and confiscated 119 grams of cocaine, 72 grams of marijuana, 65 grams of methamphetamines.
They also found $22,600 in cash and a stolen gun.
has reached out to ICE for comment.
The hold requested by ICE would permit the agency to take custody of Luzardo and Martínez once they are released by Georgia authorities.
Under the detainer, an inmate is held for an additional 48 hours after their scheduled released.
