Rafael Contreras Ramos, 40, of Mexico, pleaded guilty on June 2 to conspiring to distribute controlled substances in South Carolina. Evidence presented at his change of plea hearing showed that Contreras led an international drug trafficking organization responsible for bringing more than 40 kilograms of cocaine, 14 kilograms of fentanyl, and 1 kilogram of heroin into the state for further distribution.
The organization operated primarily in Tucson, Arizona, with connections to Las Vegas, Nevada; Burlington, North Carolina; and Horry County, South Carolina. The group was supplied by a Mexican cartel. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Contreras’ organization served as a source for a local drug network operating around Horry County during a joint investigation with local, state, and federal agencies in 2021. Agents confirmed through various investigative techniques that Contreras and his associates trafficked narcotics into Horry County from at least 2016 until their operation was disrupted by federal charges in 2022. The group also collected over $5 million from drug sales during this period.
“With our Homeland Security Task Force partners, we are stopping the influx of dangerous, illegal narcotics at the source,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “Dismantling drug organizations like this makes South Carolina safer.”
“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,” said FBI Columbia Special Agent in Charge Kevin Moore. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are sending a strong message: we’re not only investigating individual dealers, we’re pursuing entire networks from local distribution all the way to the source, no matter their location.”
Contreras was arrested in Mexico and extradited to the United States for prosecution. He is currently detained awaiting sentencing by United States District Judge Joseph Dawson after preparation of a presentence report by the United States Probation Office. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years up to life imprisonment and will be deported after serving his sentence.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159 aimed at eliminating criminal cartels and transnational criminal organizations operating within or impacting U.S. borders.
The case was investigated by multiple agencies including FBI Columbia Field Office; Horry County Sheriff’s Office; Myrtle Beach Police Department; and Horry County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Everett McMillian is prosecuting.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina protects communities across South Carolina through criminal prosecutions and civil litigation managed by its team representing federal interests throughout the state, according to the official website.