36 Indicted in Multi-State Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering Case, 346 Kilograms of Fentanyl Seized
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced on November 10 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 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.
The department said DEA also seized personal items purchased with or traceable to proceeds from drug trafficking, including jewelry and 15 luxury vehicles, among them 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.
"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."
An April 2026 indictment charged 18 members of the 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 the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Investigators said the organization has been supplying South Carolina with hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine since at least 2021, that the narcotics originated in Mexico and were transported across the southern border into the United States, and that a large fentanyl distribution network extended across the Lowcountry, Pee Dee, Grand Strand, and Midlands regions of South Carolina, repressing, repackaging, and redistributing large quantities of fentanyl.
"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. Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Connolly of the DEA Atlanta Field Division said the indictment sends a clear message that law enforcement will continue pursuing those responsible for distributing dangerous drugs.
The case was investigated by the DEA, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI Columbia Field Office, and numerous South Carolina state and local agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike O'Mara and Cole Shannon are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
(Source: U.S. Department of Justice)
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国司法部总部外墙标识（GSM 固定图库）。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Justice headquarters signage (GSM asset library).
