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by JENN WOOD
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Flanked by local, state and federal law enforcement partners, South Carolina prosecutors unveiled a quintet of indictments on Monday (August 24, 2026) tied to a sprawling statewide grand jury investigation. The expansive probe targeted what authorities have alleged is a large-scale narcotics pipeline stretching from drug cartels in Mexico to nightclubs in the Palmetto Lowcountry.
S.C. attorney general Alan Wilson – the Republican nominee for governor of South Carolina – announced five indictments containing 59 charges against 31 defendants. Dubbed “Operation Last Stand,” the charges stem from a multi-year, multi-jurisdictional investigation involving alleged drug trafficking, gun smuggling, prostitution and gang violence.
Law enforcement agencies conducted coordinated operations last week to apprehend those whose charges had been unsealed. Some defendants and charges remain under seal, and the investigation is “active and ongoing.”
Authorities allege the trafficking network has moved “hundreds of kilos” of cocaine, as well as methamphetamine and fentanyl from cartel sources in Mexico through southern border states and into South Carolina — primarily the greater Charleston area.
“Narcotics trafficking from Mexican cartels poses a threat to national security,” 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.”
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FROM NIGHTCLUB RAID TO CARTEL INVESTIGATION
According to Wilson, the operation began with inquiries into unauthorized nightclubs that allegedly attracted gang members and undocumented immigrants – becoming focal points for narcotics trafficking, prostitution and violence.
Months of surveillance, intelligence gathering and enforcement actions culminated in a February 8, 2026, raid at one such club in North Charleston.
Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) and other agencies executed a state search warrant during the early-morning operation. The raid resulted in 86 arrests, including dozens of administrative immigration arrests and seven criminal arrests, according to Wilson’s office.
Authorities said they also identified four trafficking victims and found one juvenile, who was released to relatives.
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Investigators reportedly seized firearms, 45 grams of cocaine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine and 347 grams of marijuana during the initial raid.
The investigation continued on several fronts, eventually leading authorities to alleged trafficking organizations operating across South Carolina, Texas, Georgia and Florida.
Officials said those targeted during the investigation had associations with the Piru Bloods, 18th Street Gang, Tren de Aragua and the Rolling 20s Crips. The investigation also allegedly identified connections to two Mexican cartels designated by the federal government as foreign terrorist organizations: Los Zetas/Cartel del Noreste and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.
Several of the defendants arrested in connection with the charges unveiled on Monday are illegal aliens.
The most recent enforcement operations yielded several kilograms of cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to the release. Authorities also seized 33 firearms, including what they described as multiple machine guns.
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DOZENS FACE TRAFFICKING CHARGES
At the center of the case is an alleged conspiracy to traffic 400 grams or more of cocaine — a charge carrying between 25 and 30 years in prison upon conviction.
Most of the thirty-one currently named defendants were listed in the same statewide grand jury indictment, although several face additional charges tied to alleged drug deals, firearms and other criminal activity.
Richard Quay Pham, known as “Chow,” is charged with trafficking fentanyl and cocaine and distributing methamphetamine in Charleston and Horry counties. Christopher Patrick Best also faces cocaine charges in both counties, as well as an allegation that he pointed a firearm at another person.
The charges against Rickey Omar Swinton, known as “6,” include trafficking cocaine and crack cocaine, possessing MDMA and six firearm counts. Demaro Devon Rollison is accused of trafficking crack cocaine, possessing cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute, and possessing a firearm during a violent crime. Meanwhile, Arelis Del Carmen Santos Gomez faces cocaine-conspiracy and drug-distribution charges, along with multiple prostitution-related counts alleging she operated a brothel.
Other charges scattered throughout the five indictments included possessing a stolen handgun, bringing contraband into a county jail, failing to stop for blue lights and resisting arrest.
Assistant deputy attorney general David Fernandez and statewide grand jury division chief Creighton Waters will prosecute these cases.
Operation Last Stand demonstrated the value of bringing agencies and jurisdictions together “to punch harder together than we ever could individually,” Waters noted.
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MULTI-AGENCY OPERATION
The investigation involved SLED, HSI, CCSO and numerous other state, federal and local agencies.
Those agencies included sheriff’s offices in Berkeley, Dorchester, Georgetown, Kershaw, Lexington and Richland counties; police departments in Charleston and Horry counties; the Summerville Police Department; the S.C. Department of Natural Resources; and the S.C. Department of Corrections’ Office of Inspector General.
“This multi-faceted investigation encompassed multiple criminal enterprises, including sex trafficking, firearms trafficking, drug trafficking and gang violence,” SLED chief Mark Keel said.
HSI Carolinas special agent in charge Mark M. Zito said the operation demonstrated what agencies could accomplish by combining and coordinating their investigative resources.
“We identified the people involved, disrupted their operations and took away their ability to continue doing business as usual,” Zito said.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
As a private investigator turned journalist, Jenn Wood brings a unique skill set to FITSNews as its research director. Known for her meticulous sourcing and victim-centered approach, she helps shape the newsroom’s most complex investigative stories while producing the FITSFiles and Cheer Incorporated podcasts. Jenn lives in South Carolina with her family, where her work continues to spotlight truth, accountability, and justice.
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