Hall County teacher arrested in $6.2M drug bust

A middle school teacher in Hall County was one of two people arrested Thursday in a $6-million drug bust, officials said.

Karla Alvarez, 28, a teacher at Chestatee Middle School Academy, and Monica Pascual Brito, 24, were arrested at a house on Crawford Oaks Drive in Oakwood, Hall sheriff’s Lt. Scott Ware said.

Alvarez and Brito are facing charges of trafficking and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, Ware said. They also face two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Officers also are seeking Brito’s brother, 25-year-old Ricardo Pascual Brito, in connection with the incident, Ware said.

Officers said they found 61 kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of heroin and two semi-automatic assault rifles in the residence. The drugs’ estimated value is about $6.2 million.

Alvarez has been a teacher at Chestatee Middle School Academy since August 2015, Hall schools spokesman Gordon Higgins said. She also coaches the girls soccer team.

“The Hall County School District is conducting an internal investigation and is working in cooperation with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office,” Higgins said in a statement. “The administration of Chestatee Middle is in the process of notifying faculty, staff and parents through our internal messaging systems.”