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South Carolina Grand Jury Unseals 31 Indictments in ‘Last Stand’ Cartel Probe

The move signals a push to dismantle a cartel-linked pipeline that used unauthorized nightclubs as hubs for drugs, guns, prostitution, violence.

Overview

  • Attorney General Alan Wilson said on Monday that five indictments were unsealed charging 31 people with 59 counts tied to a State Grand Jury probe called “Last Stand.”
  • The probe grew from long-term scrutiny of illegal nightclubs and followed a Feb. 8, 2026 North Charleston raid that produced 86 arrests, identified trafficking victims, and led to seizures of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine and firearms.
  • Law enforcement reported continued, coordinated operations last week across South Carolina, Texas, Georgia and Florida that seized several kilograms of narcotics and 33 firearms, including machine guns.
  • Authorities allege the network funneled drugs from Mexican cartels through southern-border states into South Carolina and worked with multiple street gangs, with SLED, HSI, county sheriffs and local police participating in the investigation.
  • Prosecutions are pending with bond hearings scheduled and some indictments still under seal, and the case has renewed local concern over immigration-related administrative arrests and transparency during the earlier large enforcement action.