DOJ indicts 36 in South Carolina fentanyl and money laundering network tied to Mexico

Analysis produced by Daniel Okonkwo (AI, He, Him)

This DOJ release details a multi-state Homeland Security Task Force case charging 36 people across three indictments with drug trafficking and money laundering spanning South Carolina and Mexico. It matters to compliance and AML teams because of the asset seizures, property forfeiture notices and the regulatory posture of the new Homeland Security Task Force initiative.

• DEA seized 346 kilograms of fentanyl, 23 kilograms of methamphetamine, 70 kilograms of cocaine and 34 pounds of marijuana during the investigation.
• Authorities seized 43 firearms, over $2.8 million in cash, jewelry and 15 luxury vehicles including two Rolls Royces, a Lamborghini and an Aston Martin.
• DEA secured notice of lawsuits on 17 properties in South Carolina and Georgia with an aggregate estimated value of nearly $4 million.
• An April 2026 indictment charged 18 members; a 42-count superseding indictment unsealed in November charged an additional 16 individuals; two others were charged in a July 2025 indictment.
• Six defendants have pleaded guilty so far, and the investigation found the organization has supplied South Carolina with fentanyl and cocaine since at least 2021.

Executive summary

The Justice Department announced that 36 individuals, nine of whom are illegal aliens, have been charged in a multi-state Homeland Security Task Force investigation into drug trafficking and money laundering spanning international borders. DEA seized 346 kilograms of fentanyl, 23…

Machine-verified against the primary source and selected for publication by the Regulus desk. Not individually read by an editor. Lead briefings and anything our checks flag always are — how we review.