36 Charged in Mexico-Linked Drug Trafficking Case, Authorities Seize 346 Kilograms of Fentanyl

Federal authorities have charged 36 people in a multi-state investigation into an alleged Mexico-based drug trafficking and money laundering organization operating in South Carolina, the Justice Department announced Nov. 10.

Investigators seized 346 kilograms of fentanyl, 23 kilograms of methamphetamine, 70 kilograms of cocaine, 34 pounds of marijuana, 43 firearms and more than $2.8 million during the investigation, according to the department.

Authorities also seized jewelry and 15 luxury vehicles, including two Rolls-Royces, a Lamborghini and an Aston Martin. Prosecutors said those assets were purchased with or traceable to drug trafficking proceeds. Authorities also filed notices of lawsuits involving 17 properties in South Carolina and Georgia with a combined estimated value of nearly $4 million.

The charges were brought through three indictments. An April 2026 indictment charged 18 people, and a 42-count superseding indictment unsealed in November added 16 defendants. Two others had been charged in a separate indictment in July 2025. Six defendants have pleaded guilty so far.

The Justice Department said nine of the 36 defendants were in the United States illegally.

According to investigators, the organization has operated in South Carolina since at least 2011, with members active in Mexico, multiple states and within federal and South Carolina prisons.

Authorities allege the organization supplied hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine to South Carolina beginning at least in 2021. Investigators said the drugs originated in Mexico and were transported across the southern border.

The investigation also identified an alleged fentanyl distribution network spanning South Carolina’s Lowcountry, Pee Dee, Grand Strand and Midlands regions. Authorities said members pressed, repackaged and redistributed fentanyl supplied by the organization.

“This Homeland Security Task Force investigation has an impact on every region of our state, and beyond,” said Bryan Stirling, U.S. attorney for the District of South Carolina.

The investigation involved the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, FBI and numerous state and local law enforcement agencies. It falls under the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established through Executive Order 14159 to investigate transnational criminal organizations and related offenses.