A federal grand jury in Florence has indicted Rafael Contreras, 38, of Mexico, on charges of distributing cocaine and heroin and money laundering. Contreras was extradited from Mexico and appeared in federal court in Florence.
The indictment claims that Contreras orchestrated the sale and distribution of significant quantities of heroin and cocaine from Mexico, primarily targeting Horry County.
"The extradition of this defendant marks a victory in our fight against transnational criminal organizations," stated U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. "We are grateful for the close cooperation with our law enforcement partners in Mexico and here in the United States. This extradition demonstrates our unwavering commitment to prosecuting those bringing illegal narcotics into our communities."
"This indictment and extradition send a clear message: the FBI is relentless in its pursuit of the criminals behind large-scale drug operations," said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. "The defendant, as alleged, caused significant harm to Horry County by directing the distribution of lethal amounts of heroin and cocaine. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to expose and root out international drug trafficking networks that threaten the safety of our communities."
Contreras faces a potential life sentence if convicted. He remains detained awaiting trial.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF targets high-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations threatening the United States using a coordinated approach involving multiple agencies at various government levels.
The investigation involved several agencies including the FBI Columbia Field Office, Horry County Police Department, Horry County Sheriff’s Office, Myrtle Beach Police Department, along with international collaboration facilitated by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The U.S. Marshals Service handled Contreras's transfer from Mexico to South Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is leading the prosecution.
All charges are accusations at this stage; defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt in court.
