SC police, ICE arrest 80 people in raid of unlicensed Charleston County nightclub
Two alleged cartel members and one person wanted by Interpol for murder in Honduras were among at least 80 people arrested during a weekend sting operation at an unlicensed nightclub in Charleston County.
Federal, state and local law enforcement raided the Alamo nightclub, located in an industrial area outside the town of Summerville, around 3 a.m. Sunday. The club had no license to operate or to sell alcohol.
About 200 people were there at the time of the raid. The investigation, dubbed 'Operation Last Stand,' continues, Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie said during a news conference Monday.
They included 10 juveniles as young as 13 — including one reported as missing — as well as potential human trafficking victims. They were turned over to social service agencies. Officers also seized guns, cocaine and cash, Ritchie said, without giving details on the amounts.
Those arrested included two people believed to be 'high-level cartel members' associated with the Mexico-based Los Zetas cartel and the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua gang, said U.S. Department of Homeland Security agent Cardell Morant.
He referred to the club scene as a 'cartel afterparty.' More than 80% of those arrested are living in the United States illegally, he said.
The law enforcement agencies went in with 116 warrants for 80 people.
Five people were arrested for criminal offenses, Morant said.
Law enforcement officials did not provide names of those arrested or a list of charges.
'Some of these individuals have been charged with serious offenses,' which include the person wanted internationally for murder, Morant said. Other charges made in the raid include 'assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and a felon in possession of a firearm,' he said.
The investigation began in November with officers looking into noise complaints and reports of assaults occurring in the parking lot, Ritchie said.
'Bad guys like to celebrate too. So, this was their way to let off some steam, and they were, unfortunately, doing it right here in the community,' Morant said.
'This operation was not only about immigration enforcement. It was also about restoring order, removing threats from our streets and ensuring the safety and well-being of Charleston-area residents,' he added.
About a dozen local, state and federal agencies participated in the raid.
'We will continue to work to bring justice to those that have been victimized and also bring those to justice that have violated our laws,' said State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel.
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