A multi-county drug investigation that began in Fayette County has resulted in 25 people indicted on federal charges stemming from a ring of houses where marijuana was being grown indoors, officials said Tuesday afternoon.

The investigation — now officially called “Hooked on ‘Ponics” — began with a tip that led to a man living off Seay Road who was later determined to be the “master grower,” police said. That man, Merquiades Martinez, was placed under surveillance and ultimately led police to numerous “grow houses” where marijuana was being grown indoors with special lighting and watering systems known as hydroponics, officials said.

Also indicted on the charges was Martinez’s wife Blanca Botello, a Fayetteville real estate agent, who is alleged to have helped obtain the various grow houses. Botello also owned a hydroponics business which was used to purchase and distribute equipment for the grow houses, officials said.

Police found 44 active “grow houses” in counties all over the metro Atlanta area, and the investigation was led by the Fayette County Drug Task Force of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department, which also includes one officer each from Tyrone and Fayetteville’s police departments.

In addition to the various indictments, police also seized more than 8,600 marijuana plants and more than 2,200 pounds of processed marijuana that was shown to be of very high potency, officials said.

In addition to the marijuana, police also have confiscated $197,000 in cash and 10 vehicles believed to have been used in the enterprise.

At a press conference Tuesday morning, Fayette County Sheriff Randall Johnson said his agency was proud to participate in such a successful sting. He also thanked other law enforcement agencies for cooperating in the investigation.

“When you’re working together as one you’re going to have success,” Johnson said.

While some nay-sayers think the sheriff’s department shouldn’t work cases outside of Fayette County, the work the task force does outside of the county keeps drugs from being distributed here, Johnson said.

Drug distributors operate everywhere, and not just in Fayette County, the sheriff said.

Or, as Capt. Mike Pruitt put it: “If we cut off the flow of drugs, then they have nothing to sell.”

Federal officials said the investigation, coordinated through the Atlanta High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, is ongoing, a sign that more arrests could be forthcoming.

The investigation was dubbed “Hooked on ‘Ponics” and uncovered the use of large amounts of electricity that was being stolen through unsafe means that don’t meet building codes, officials said. The grow houses also were dangerous because of the use of carbon dioxide and other chemicals to help the plants grow.

The grow houses ranged in price from $300,000 to $500,000. As the investigation continued, police started to find dump sites where grown marijuana plants were disposed of, and houses where hydroponic marijuana growing systems were dismantled, officials said.

Martinez, 36, and Botello, 35, were indicted on management and control of a premises to manufacture and store marijuana, possession of equipment, chemicals, materials and products to manufacture marijuana, possession of at least 100 marijuana plants with intent to distribute and conspiracy to manufacture at least 1,000 marijuana plants, officials said.

Also under federal indictment in the sting are Juan Carlos Martin-Lopez, 38, of Loganville; Gerson Carranza, 26, of Monroe; Ramon Aguila-Ramos, 41, of Miami, Fla.; Stanley Castillo, 41, of Miami; Yosvel Rubio, 31, of West Palm Beach, Fla.; Zulia Diaz, 31, of West Palm Beach; Nestor Raphael Garcia-Jiminez, 36, of Fayetteville; Luis Guarro-Ponce, 38, of McDonough; Juan Guevarra-Milian, 37, of Hialeah, Fla.; Francisco Hernandez, 46, of Miami; Adalberto Hernandez-Cruz, 32, of Covington; Carlos Hurtado O’Campo, 42, of West Palm Beach; Reinaldo Victor Pardo, 61, of Homestead, Fla.; Fresnio Jorge Perez, 54, of Conyers; Eduardo Rey, 34, of Miami; Jesus Aleman Rubio, 56, of Lehigh Acres, Fla.; Mario Rubio, 36, of Hialeah; Wenceslao Santiesteban, 44, of Hialeah; Jesus Soto-Baez, 31, of Miami; Jose Ramon Valdivia, 59, of Moreland; Dadyanes Valenzuela-Gonzolo, 27, of West Palm Beach and Tomas Valiente, 41, of Hialeah.

Many of the defendants are related by blood or marriage, officials said. HIDTA Director Jack Killorin said the product was being distributed all along the Atlantic seaboard.

Johnson said he was impressed that County Commission Chairman Jack Smith was in attendance at the press conference.

“It meant a lot to my guys,” said Pruitt.

Smith credited the task force for following all the various leads of the investigation, noting that he was told by a federal official that some drug dealers call the Clayton-Fayette county “the 50-yard line” because they don’t want to cross it and face charges in Fayette.

“When you have a unit that can take a tip and follow it — and leave no stone unturned — obviously you’ve got people doing something right,” Smith said.

The county commission recently authorized the hiring of three new undercover drug agents, bringing the drug task force up to nine officers. That, Pruitt said, allows for drug busts to occur without requiring assistance from the sheriff’s department’s SWAT team, which would pull deputies from their other duties.

That was one of the main reasons the commission decided to add the three new drug officers, Smith said.