Attorney General Alan Wilson announces State Grand Jury indictments alleging large drug trafficking pipeline from Mexican cartels to the Charleston area

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced today that a multi-jurisdictional operation was conducted last week to finish apprehending over 30 individuals indicted in the South Carolina State Grand Jury investigation known as “Last Stand”. Primarily focused in the greater Charleston area, Last Stand grew out of investigations into unsanctioned nightclubs known for drawing large crowds, including gang members and illegal immigrants, and which became hubs for narcotics trafficking, prostitution, and gang violence. Indictments against certain defendants were unsealed today after the roundup operations last week. 

“Narcotics trafficking from Mexican cartels poses a threat to national security, and I commend our partner agencies for doing the difficult and dangerous job of investigating and apprehending alleged gang- and cartel-affiliated individuals,” Attorney General Wilson said. “This investigation involves not only drug trafficking on a large scale, but also gun smuggling, prostitution, and shootings, with illegally operating businesses and nightclubs often being the epicenter of this criminal activity,” he added.  “The Attorney General’s Office has an ongoing and extensive partnership with SLED and HSI, and the South Carolina State Grand Jury will continue to aggressively pursue cartel narcotics trafficking and the dangers it brings with it,” Wilson said.

Months of surveillance, intelligence gathering, enforcement actions, and State Grand Jury investigation led to Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charleston Field Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), and other law enforcement partners to execute a state search and seizure warrant at an unsanctioned nightclub in North Charleston in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 8, 2026. That raid led to the arrest of 86 people, including 79 administrative arrests of illegal immigrants, and seven criminal arrests. Four trafficking victims were identified, and one juvenile was discovered and turned over to relatives.  Firearms, 45 grams of cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and 347 grams of marijuana were seized during this raid.

The investigation continued on multiple fronts following the February raid. Ultimately, this led to the identification of international narco-terrorist cartels and gangs involved in the large-scale trafficking of narcotics predominantly to the Charleston area of South Carolina. This trafficking pipeline was historically responsible for hundreds of kilos of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl brought from cartel sources in Mexico through southern border states and into South Carolina. 

HSI, SLED, CCSO, the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, Summerville Police Department, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of Inspector General, and other federal and state and local agencies, conducted large-scale enforcement operations in South Carolina, Texas, Georgia, and Florida to dismantle the alleged drug trafficking organizations in South Carolina. During the investigation, and multiple enforcement operations, individuals were targeted with associations to Piru Bloods, 18^th Street, Tren de Aragua, Rolling 20’s Crips, as well as two designated Foreign Terrorist Organization Mexican drug cartels: Los Zetas/Cartel de Noreste (Z/CDN), and Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG). The latest operations last week resulted in the seizure of several kilograms of narcotics, including cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine. Thirty-three firearms, including multiple machine guns, were also seized by law enforcement. 

“Today is the direct result of a multi-year, complex, and thorough investigation by dedicated public servants, committed to making our state safer,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “This multi-faceted investigation encompassed multiple criminal enterprises, including sex trafficking, firearms trafficking, drug trafficking, and gang violence. Families across South Carolina fell victim to these vast illicit networks that put communities across our state at risk. SLED will continue to work closely with our local, state, and federal partners to combat these dangerous criminals and will work tirelessly to hold every offender accountable.”

“These organizations bring drugs, guns, and violence into our communities, and we’re not going to allow them to operate here unchecked,” said Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of HSI Carolinas. “This investigation shows what happens when HSI and our federal, state, and local partners work together and bring all of our resources to the table. We identified the people involved, disrupted their operations, and took away their ability to continue doing business as usual. We’ll keep working with our partners to find and dismantle these criminal networks and hold the people behind them accountable.”

State Grand Jury Division chief attorney S. Creighton Waters thanked all the partner agencies for their hard work. “Operation Last Stand is State Grand Jury doing what State Grand Jury does best – bringing multi-jurisdictional partnerships together to punch harder together than we ever could individually,” he added.

The case was investigated by the South Carolina State Grand Jury, which was assisted in this case by a partnership of the Attorney General’s State Grand Jury Division, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Charleston Field Office, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), the Berkeley County Sheriff's Office, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department (CPD), the Horry County Police Department, and the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office, the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office. The cases will be prosecuted by Assistant Deputy Attorney General David Fernandez, and State Grand Jury Division chief attorney Senior Assistant Deputy Attorney General Creighton Waters. 

The investigation unsealed thus far has returned five indictments containing 59 charges covering 31 defendants. The most recent charges are listed below against the named individuals:

(1) Christopher Patrick Best (a/k/a “Best”)
     a. 2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
          ii. Pointing Firearm at Another Person, 0-5 years
     b. 2026-GS-47-39 (Horry County)
         i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
         ii. Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, 0-15 years
         iii. Possession of Marijuana, 0-30 days

(2) Richard Quay Pham (a/k/a “Chow”)
     a. 2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Fentanyl, 4-14 Grams, 7-25 years
     b. 2026-GS-47-39 (Horry County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
          ii. Trafficking Cocaine, 10-28 Grams, Second Offense, 3-10 years
          iii. Distribution of Methamphetamine, Second Offense x2, 5-30 years
          iv. Trafficking Cocaine 28-100 Grams, Second Offense x2, 7-30 years
          v. Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, 0-15 years

(3) Demaro Devon Rollison
        2026-GS-47-12 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine Base (Crack), 10-28 grams, 3-10 years
          ii. Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine, 0-15 years
          iii. Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, 0-5 years
          iv. Possession of a Firearm During Commission of or Attempt to Commit a Violent Crime, 5 years in addition to the punishment provided for the principal crime

(4) Abraham Deontre Doctor, IV (a/k/a “DJ Tre”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
          ii. Trafficking Cocaine, 28-100 Grams, 7-25 years

(5) Timothy Christian Brown
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(6) Evan Anthony Cole
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
          ii. Trafficking Cocaine, 28-100 Grams, 7-25 years
          iii. Possession of Contraband in County Jail, 1-10 years

(7) Jed Hakeem Coleman
       a. 2026-GS-47-30
          i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More
          ii. Possession of Methamphetamine, Third Offense
          iii. Failure to Stop for Blue Lights
          iv. Resisting Arrest
       b. 2026-GS-47-39 (Horry County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(8) Rickey Omar Swinton (a/k/a “6”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
          ii. Trafficking Cocaine 200-400 Grams
          iii. Trafficking Cocaine Base (Crack), 10-28 Grams
          iv. Possession of a Schedule IV Controlled Substance (MDMA)
          v. Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Violent Crime x6, 5 years in addition to the punishment provided for the principal crime

(9) Pedro Moreno
        2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(10) Juan Balderas-Cerritos
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(11) Antonio Jermaine Levy (a/k/a “El Tony”, “Tony”)
        2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(12) Eric Deangelo McKenzie (a/k/a “Dub”)
        2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(13) David Slavi Ivanov
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(14) Branden Ronnard Antwan Ferrell (a/k/a “Lil B”, Little B”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(15) Zakaria Ahmad Quzah (a/k/a “Zack”)
        2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(16) Juan Diego Bohorquez Quast (a/k/a “JB”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(17) Juan Carlos Velazquez Morales (a/k/a “JC”, “CJ”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(18) Angel Felix Castillo Menendez (a/k/a “Feliz”, “Felix”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(19) Lorenzo Lavar Johnson
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(20) Manuel Arthuro Gutierrez (a/k/a “Manny”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
          ii. Possession of a Stolen Handgun

(21) Ramon William Green (a/k/a “G”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(22) Ramon Gamble (a/k/a “Mone”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(23) Oscar Orlando Sierra, Jr (a/k/a “OJ”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
         i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(24) Jose Francisco Carreno Rodriguez
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
         i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(25) Jose Alberto Rodriguez Campos (a/k/a “Beto”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
         i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(26) Ahmed Adel Maher Elsayed Elallawy (a/k/a “Bebito”, “Papito”)
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(27) Nykeil Tytravias Miller
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(28) Arelis Del Carmen Santos Gomez
       2026-GS-47-18 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
          ii. Drug/Violation Drug Distribution Laws, Prohibited Acts B x2
          iii. Prostitution/Operating a Brothel x2
          iv. Prostitution/Further Unlawful Acts x2

(29) Mark Christopher Casey
       2026-GS-47-18 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
          ii. Possession of Cocaine, Second Offense

(30) Rami Abuhani
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

(31) Reynaldo Lopez
       2026-GS-47-17 (Charleston County)
       i. Trafficking Cocaine 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years

       2026-GS-47-18 (Charleston County)
          i. Trafficking Cocaine, 400 Grams or More (Conspiracy), 25-30 years
          ii. Possession of Cocaine, Second Offense

Some defendants remain under seal. A majority of the above-listed defendants will have their bond set on Monday, August 24, 2026, at the Richland County Courthouse.                                                               

Attorney General Wilson stressed that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until they are proven guilty in a court of law.