United States Drug Enforcement Administration

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The Justice Department today announced that 36 individuals, nine of whom are illegal aliens, have been charged in a multi-state Homeland Security Task Force investigation involving drug trafficking and money laundering that spans international borders.

During the course of the investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) seized 346 kilograms of fentanyl, 23 kilograms of methamphetamine, 70 kilograms of cocaine, 34 pounds of marijuana, 43 firearms, and over $2.8 million. DEA also seized personal items that were purchased with or traceable to proceeds from drug trafficking. For example, DEA seized jewelry and 15 luxury vehicles, including two Rolls Royces, a Lamborghini, and an Aston Martin, and secured notice of lawsuits on 17 properties in South Carolina and Georgia, with an aggregate estimated value of nearly $4 million.

“Today's indictment sends a clear message that law enforcement will continue pursuing those responsible for distributing dangerous drugs and fueling criminal activity in our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Connolly of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This investigation reflects the dedication and coordinated efforts of our federal, state, and local partners. We will not stop at the first arrest. We will continue following the evidence, identifying those involved, and holding them accountable.”

“Nothing will stop the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting the American people from lethal drugs,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thanks to the work of the Homeland Security Task Force, the people of South Carolina are safer today than they were two years ago. The Department of Justice will continue dismantling drug trafficking networks and delivering justice for victims and their families.”

“This Homeland Security Task Force investigation has an impact on every region of our state, and beyond,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “For every criminal charged, even more law enforcement agents and officers were working to put a stop to the illegal drug trafficking and money laundering targeting our communities. This tremendous coordination has made our state safer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to lead the fight with our partners to stop the flow of deadly narcotics from across the Southern border.”

An April 2026 indictment charged 18 members of the drug trafficking and money laundering operation. A 42-count superseding indictment, unsealed in November, charged an additional 16 individuals. Two individuals were previously charged in a third indictment in July 2025. Six defendants have pleaded guilty in the case so far.

The investigation identified that a Mexico-based drug trafficking and money laundering organization has been operating in South Carolina since at least 2011, and that its members are active in Mexico, South Carolina, other states, as well as within the Federal Bureau of Prisons and South Carolina Department of Corrections. During this investigation, DEA and its law enforcement partners have identified that the criminal organization has been supplying South Carolina with hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine since at least 2021. The investigation has uncovered that these narcotics originated in Mexico and are transported across the southern border into the United States. The investigation further identified a large fentanyl distribution network extending across the Lowcountry, Pee Dee, Grand Strand, and Midlands regions of South Carolina. This network was responsible for repressing, repackaging, and redistributing large quantities of fentanyl delivered by the criminal organization.

This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.

The case was investigated by the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), FBI Columbia Field Office, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, South Carolina Department of Corrections, State Transport Police, Aiken County Sheriff’s Office, Barnwell County Sheriff’s Office, Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, Cheraw Police Department, Chesterfield County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia Police Department, Florence County Sheriff’s Office, Gaston Police Department, Georgetown County Sheriff’s Department, Hartsville Police Department, Horry County Police Department, Horry County Sheriff’s Department, Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, Myrtle Beach Police Department, North Myrtle Beach Police Department, Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and Surfside Beach Police Department.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike O’Mara and Cole Shannon for the District of South Carolina are prosecuting the case. 

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.