Lt. Robert Stewart became Chief of SLED, and Cam Currie became a U.S. District Court judge. The statement on theinvestigation revealed alleged connections to Mexican drug trafficking cartels operating in South Carolina and Georgia. We are forever indebted to his brave service and pray that he will Rest In Peace. Bob Byers was caught in Antigua by DEA agent Dewey Greager and David Forbes, who posed as buyers of his $900,000 sailboat, La Cautiva. Thats so many kids that could have died. Florida woman runs ultra-marathon distances for 23 consecutive days. The five Colombians in custody are Jorge Samuel Cruz, Luis F. Taboada-Garcia, Felipe Janer and Juan Carlos Perez. Typical agency turf wars were not allowed; anyone who refused to play nice was excused from the team. All these kids have had other friends that have died, said Alsobrooks. While both men delegated sailing and offloading to others early on, they enjoyed the thrill of smuggling and the lifestyle it afforded them, and they were always in search of a bigger adventure. On Monday (March 8) South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson said that, so far, 100 people are facing 297 counts and 487 charges total, News 19 reports. Greenville, South Carolina--- Acting United States Attorney M. Rhett Dehart announced today that, on Thursday, August 12, 2021, a joint team of 130 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers simultaneously executed 20 federal search warrants and arrested 12 individuals charged in a 34-count federal indictment for their roles in a drug trafficking organization that operated primarily . Law enforcement says the people arrested for this crime will face 15 years in prison. Jonathan Sears who owns or co-owns a lengthy list of Columbia establishments including The Bird Dog, The Cotton Gin, The Gourmet Shop, Hendrix, Jakes Bar and Pavlovs was arrested along with his relative, Geoffrey Sears, on Blossom Street last Thursday by officers of the Columbia, S.C. police department (CPD). Cartels dont play games. Still, it was more than they could spend. Heres the link to the podcast on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@MurdaughMurders?si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE, IMO This seems way more relevant knowing what we know now! The. Here is the full video of the press conference . On Wednesday, a Durham man was arrested after a chase hitting 120 mph and the "Gray Death" drug was found, deputies say. The theory would hold more weight if there were rumors or gossip of drug use coming out of the woodwork, but I dont think any have come to light. 'These definitely are major players.'. The adventurous will enjoy tales of exotic locales, fugitive escapades, and mountains of drugs and money. In a case reaching both sides of the Rio Grande, 43 Upstate drug trafficking defendants now face a total of 170 charges after being indicted by the South Carolina statewide grand jury. On the other side are the avengers the scores of investigators and prosecutors that read like a whos who of South Carolina legal minds. Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. Two rules were sacrosanct: no guns and no smuggling cocaine. One of South Carolina's largest drug smuggling bust News, news, seriousness, tension(1077866) - Lyrebirds music. Les and Barry considered marijuana a nearly legal product. He said, Hi Bart, my names Christy Campbell, and Im here to turn myself in, says Bart. CLICK HERE. The couple is also known as Rob and Lynn Greene. According to authorities, six of the . Related: Search warrant leads to seizure of more than 30 kilograms of fentanyl in York County. To source the best marijuana, Barry partnered with another smuggler named Bob the Boss Byers, who took Barry into the mountains of Colombia to meet farmers directly. They were executed with premeditation. With that, Barrys career as a drug smuggler launched, and he enjoyed legendary status among Columbias marijuana enthusiasts. . The Hilton Head Island residents were identified as David A. Childs Jr., 38, and Lynn G. Paul, 40. Yet our response to the opioid and fentanyl crisis is underwhelming, Tolson said. The payday for smugglers was double that of marijuana. Banned items included crack cocaine, knives, tobacco, guns, phones, and even candy. While law enforcement had tried to catch the smugglers in the past and, in a few instances, succeeded, they were hampered in the 1970s by unsophisticated or nonexistent equipment, insufficient support, and the miles and miles of South Carolina shoreline. David and fellow task force member Chuck Pittard were interviewing a friend of Barry Foys in Manhattan when Barry called her, saying he and his family were on their way to New York. Wild as it seems, the story is true. A drug hit would not be carried out by the local crew, local boys are just the corner guys, there would be 10 more levels up if not more before you get to the head of the Snake. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); South Carolina's 'Trial of the Century' is over but the 'Murdaugh King Of Five Points Arrested As Part Of Massive Drug Bust In Columbia, South Carolina, Murdaugh Murders: South Carolina Attorney General Must Step In And Remove Rogue Solicitor, Governors Mansion Valet Killed In Car Crash, SCDOT: Internal Audits Show Rash Of Scandals, Alex Murdaugh Sentenced To Life Behind Bars, LIVE FEED Murdaugh Murders Trial: Alex Murdaugh Sentencing Hearing, Murdaugh Murders Trial: Alex Murdaugh Guilty On All Counts. The case was investigated by the South Carolina State Grand Jury, which was assisted in this case by a partnership of the Attorney Generals State Grand Jury Division, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the South Carolina Department of Corrections Office of the Inspector General, the Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, the Thirteenth Circuit Solicitors office, Anderson County Sheriffs Office, Pickens County Sheriffs Office, Spartanburg County Sheriffs Office, Easley Police Department, Abbeville County Sheriffs Office, and the Oconee County Sheriffs Office. Simpson Says Hes Not Qualified To Say If Alex Murdaugh Did It. U. S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced on Wednesday that 37 people have been federally-indicted as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces' Operation Say Uncle. Theyre dealing death: York County, S.C. state leaders speak on fentanyl bust. He is also an author and an avid Civil War enthusiast. Thousands of kilos of methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine were pumping into Greenville County.. Illegal drugs,. March 3 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Britain responded to a home to rescue a horse that had fallen into its owner's swimming pool and was unable to get itself out. 'We smashed an international drug smuggling operation,' said Frederick B. Verinder, the FBI agent in charge of the investigation. In this article we take a look at the 18 biggest drug busts in US history. This hit the drug smugglers smack in the purse strings. WTF? McClellanvilles creeks were popular, too. Theyre dealing death, Tolson said. Her son, Adam, fell victim to the drug. Sergeant Forsberg served 21 years with the Broward Sheriffs Office and was a great asset to the BSOs Homicide Unit. CLICK HERE. Our hearts go out to Sergeant Kevin Forsbergs family, friends and colleagues at Broward Sheriffs Office where he served in the BSOs Homicide Unit, the FPBA said. Soldiers would sometimes even help load drugs onto the boats and then, once they were clear of land, fighting resumed. Kingpin Les Riley, who grew up in Columbia and attended USC, had a Southern upbringing that included hunting, fishing, and escorting the occasional debutante. For those who want the full story of this local legend. Its the most amazing story going on in law enforcement in the United States today, said Henry at the time. This is the second drug bust along I-95 in Nash County this week. In the 1970s, kingpins and Columbia natives Les Riley and Barry Foy smuggled an astounding amount of marijuana and hashish into South Carolina, equating $1.8 billion in todays dollars. You didnt have any last words. The Canal Street home was raided last Thursday by CPD narcotics agents prior to the Sears arrests. We spent a lot of time together. LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - Lexington County deputies have arrested a 26-year-old man after investigators found more than 90 pounds of marijuana in his home. Houses, land, boats, and prized cars all disappeared into government coffers, much to the consternation of the Gentlemen Smugglers and their associates. TikTok video from True Crime Stories (@truecrimestories215): "The 1981 South Carolina Drug Smuggling Bust In The Edisto River #truecrime #truecrimecommunity #truestory #truecrimetiktok #makingamurderer #AlexMurdaugh #trending #fyp". MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA Less than twenty months after 30 Horry County and Myrtle Beach-area drug traffickers were indicted based on a federal wiretap investigation into narcotics and violence, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Carolina announced today that all 30 have pleaded guilty and been sentenced in federal court. The story is utterly fantastic, with a list of villains so long one has trouble keeping up with them all. He was joined at a news conference in Columbia by S.C. State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) chief Mark Keel and other authorities. 2022 Blaze Media LLC. Charlestons famous restaurant, 82 Queen, was seized as well. Among the chief targets of Operation Jackpot were South Carolina marijuana kingpins Barry Foy, from Billinge and Les Riley, who stood accused of smuggling 347,000 pounds of marijuana and 130,000 pounds of hashish into the United States. The drugs were busted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America, and also in the Caribbean Sea. As native South Carolinians, they did not take long to settle on the lush Carolina coast, with its virtually endless waterways and, in the 1970s, undeveloped seclusion. Click this link for the original source of this article. Forsbergs death in a Facebook post several days later. State Attorney General Alan Wilson announced grand jury indictments Wednesday against the owners of the Los Primos restaurant in Greenville, S.C. So both were allegedly dealing marijuana, right? Has anyone heard anything? |, All of these experiences relate to the astounding volume of marijuana and hashish smuggled into South Carolina by the so-called Gentlemen Smugglers with a street value, in todays dollars, of $1.8 billion. His upbringing was typical of the South, with plenty of time spent hunting, fishing, and escorting the occasional debutante. Throughout the extensive multi-agency investigation, it was revealed that the much of the drug trafficking was coordinated by current and former prison inmates through contraband cell phones. For those who want the full story of this local legend, Jackpot is a something-for-everyone kind of tale. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina and before that he was a bass player and a dive bar bouncer. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family Broward Sheriffs Office Sergeant Kevin Forsberg, both blood and blue. The property had a deep water dock. According to the South Carolina Attorney Generals Office, the owners of the Los Primos restaurant located in Greenville, South Carolina, allegedly ran and facilitated most of the drug trafficking. More than 40 people have been charged in the Upstate of South Carolina as part of a drug-trafficking case known as "Las Seoritas," according to Attorney General Alan Wilson. According to Governor McMaster, The task force decided to use that publicity to let them know we were coming. Some smugglers quickly surrendered or were easily arrested and took plea deals in exchange for testifying against their co-defendants. In a statement released jointly by the National Sheriff's Association, Major County Sheriffs of America, Western States Sheriffs' Association, Southwestern Border Sheriffs' Coalition, and Texas Border Sheriff's Coalition, the groups asserted "that the two main drivers of illicit drugs leading to overdoses and violence into the U.S. are Sinaloa He described Hilton Head Island as a 'transhipment point' in the operation, noting that the island is well-suited for smuggling because of its access to deep water. In college at the University of South Carolina, Les was known to take his dates to the roof of Cornell Arms to smoke marijuana and enjoy the sunset. They reportedly were part of a drug trafficking organization that operating in Pickens, Greenville, Laurens, Anderson, and Oconee Counties. The next big adventure came through importing hashish from faraway locales like Lebanon and Singapore. Purchase a new subscription and qualify for $100 of fine dining, theater tickets and MORE! Charges range from drug trafficking and weapons to burglary and kidnapping.