South Carolina drug case exposes cartel-backed pipeline moving cocaine, fentanyl and heroin
By Graham Cawthon
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FLORENCE, S.C. (WJCL) — A Mexican man accused of helping lead a major drug trafficking operation that moved cocaine, fentanyl and heroin into South Carolina has pleaded guilty to a federal conspiracy charge, prosecutors said.
Rafael Contreras Ramos, 40, pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances in the state, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
Large-scale trafficking operation Federal prosecutors said evidence presented during Contreras’ plea hearing showed he was a leader of an international drug trafficking organization that brought more than 40 kilograms of cocaine, 14 kilograms of fentanyl and 1 kilogram of heroin into the state for distribution.
Authorities said the organization operated mainly out of Tucson, Arizona, and had connections in Las Vegas; Burlington, North Carolina; and Horry County, South Carolina. Prosecutors said the group received narcotics and logistical support from a Mexican cartel.
Investigators identified the organization in 2021 during a joint probe involving local, state and federal agencies. Authorities later determined that Contreras and his associates had been moving drugs into Horry County since at least 2016, continuing until the operation was disrupted by federal charges in 2022.
Prosecutors also said the group collected more than $5 million in drug proceeds during that time.
Officials say case targeted broader network U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling said the case reflects a broader effort to stop dangerous narcotics before they reach communities in South Carolina.
“With our Homeland Security Task Force partners, we are stopping the influx of dangerous, illegal narcotics at the source,” Stirling said. “Dismantling drug organizations like this makes South Carolina safer.”
FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore said investigators focused not just on street-level dealers, but on the larger supply chain behind the trafficking.
“The defendant played a direct role in flooding Horry County with illegal drugs, and the consequences were that of violence on our streets, addiction in our neighborhoods, and real harm to people,” Moore said.
Extradited from Mexico, awaiting sentencing Contreras was arrested in Mexico and extradited to the United States for prosecution. He remains in custody while awaiting sentencing.
U.S. District Judge Joseph Dawson accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Contreras after a presentence investigation is completed. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and could receive up to life behind bars. Prosecutors said he will be deported to Mexico after serving his sentence.
Part of federal task force initiative Prosecutors said the case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative, a federal effort aimed at dismantling cartels, transnational criminal organizations, gangs, and human trafficking and smuggling networks.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office, the Myrtle Beach Police Department and the Horry County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian is prosecuting the case.
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