A nightclub allegedly operated by a member of the Los Zetas cartel was raided over the weekend in Summerville, South Carolina, resulting in nearly 80 arrests.
The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detailed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted an operation after receiving a tip about “The Alamo,” an illegal subterranean nightclub located approximately 25 miles northwest of Charleston. Authorities claimed the club served as a center for guns, narcotics, and human trafficking.
The operation, called “Operation Last Stand,” began around 3 a.m. on June 1 and featured some 200 federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel. According to officials, 66 of those apprehended were in the United States illegally, and five had open felony warrants.
Following the operation, Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie and Homeland Security Investigations’ special agent in charge, Cardell Morant, held a press conference. Ritchie added that two of those apprehended were thought to be “high-level cartel members” having connections to both the Los Zetas cartel and the Tren de Aragua gang. Authorities expect the number of people linked to gangs to grow as the investigation progresses.
Officials did not reveal the identity of the accused cartel members or their level of engagement in illegal operations.
Sergio Joel Galo-Baca, a Honduran national who was illegally present in the country, was among those arrested. According to investigators, he was under an active Interpol Red Notice for homicide in his country.
Authorities found weapons, cocaine, and an “unknown controlled substance” during the operation, as well as a substantial amount of “bulk currency,” according to ABC News 4. Authorities confiscated four automobiles for drug-related charges and are currently awaiting search warrants.
The club also removed eight adolescents aged 13 to 21 and returned them to their parents. Authorities suspect that some of the adolescents may be victims of human trafficking and have entrusted them to state social services for their safety and care.
According to law enforcement officials, Benjamin Reyna-Flores is the nightclub’s owner and major operator. He was detained and brought into Charleston County Jail. Reyna-Flores is facing several allegations, including unlawful storage and transit of alcoholic liquors, illegal alcohol sale and manufacturing, and sales to an unlicensed individual.
His bond amount was set at $4,715. He remains in jail and is due to appear in court later this month.
“The successful operation that took place in the Charleston area resulted in more than 70 arrests of illegal aliens — including an international murder suspect — and the dismantling of a nightclub run by a suspected cartel member where drug, weapon, and human trafficking were taking place,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, fugitives and lawbreakers are on notice: Leave now, or ICE will find you and deport you.”