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The Department of Justice on Tuesday announced that dozens of people in South Carolina, including several illegal immigrants, have been arrested in relation to a drug bust and money laundering scheme.
A Homeland Security Task Force investigation netted 36 arrests — and nine of the suspects are in the country illegally, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The bust resulted in the seizure of 346 kilograms of fentanyl, 23 kilograms of methamphetamine, 70 kilograms of cocaine, 34 pounds of marijuana and 43 firearms.
“Nothing will stop the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting the American people from lethal drugs,” Attorney General Todd Blanche told Fox News Digital.
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“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,” he added.
Investigators seized $2.8 million in cash and jewelry, 15 luxury vehicles — including two Rolls Royces, a Lamborghini and an Aston Martin — and 17 properties, which the DOJ said is worth $4 million.
The drug running operation has been ongoing since at least 2021, and the drugs themselves originated in Mexico.
The narcotics were trafficked across the U.S. southern border with Mexico and into South Carolina, according to the DOJ.
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Notably, members of the ring had infiltrated the prison system in the Palmetto State.
“The investigation identified that a Mexico-based drug trafficking and money laundering organization has been operating in South Carolina since at least 2011 and its members are active in Mexico, South Carolina, other states, as well as within the Bureau of Prisons and South Carolina Department of Corrections,” according to the DOJ.
The Homeland Security Task Force was assembled under Executive Order 14159, dubbed “Protecting the American People Against Invasion,” and is described as 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.”
“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 Michael J. Connolly, acting special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (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.”
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No fewer than 29 law enforcement agencies were involved in the investigation, including the DEA, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), state investigators in South Carolina and police departments in North and South Carolina.
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