South Carolina and Drug Trafficking
Cities in South Carolina, such as Columbia, Hilton Head, Greenville, Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach and Charleston, were seen as minor drug related areas in the South. Florida was the cocaine capital of the Southeast for many decades. In the past several years the amount of cocaine entering South Carolina has increased dramatically. The influx of Mexican drug organizations has increased the flow of drugs. The DEA has been investigating the use of Interstate I-20, I-26, I-95 and I-85 to move drugs across South Carolina. South Carolina is centrally located in between Miami and New York, which allows for the ideal distribution for the East Coast drug trade. Interstate 95 is a one way shot between Miami and New York and has no major cities in South Carolina. Florence is the largest city in South Carolina with direct access to Interstate 95. The Port of Charleston has also been utilized for importing cocaine, marijuana and other drugs into South Carolina.
According to the DEA South Carolina was once considered just a consumer state and not a source state. In the past few years South Carolina has become a transshipment corridor for cocaine, heroin, cannabis and other illegal drugs. Our office has defended many clients for importation of cocaine in Miami, Florence, Charleston, Palm Beach and many other cities throughout the South. In 2007 the DEA seized 477 kilograms of cocaine in South Carolina. This number does not include the seizures by SLED or local law enforcement agencies. The DEA has a smaller presence in South Carolina compared to Texas, Florida or New York. We have a criminal defense office in Miami, Florida. This was the basis for most of our experience in defending drug trafficking cases throughout the Southeast. With the increase in drug charges in South Carolina, we opened up an office in South Carolina to defend individuals indicted for drug trafficking, money laundering and other drug related offenses.
There has also been an increase in meth labs in South Carolina. Many rural areas have been producing crystal meth. The DEA seized 24 meth labs in 2007. The effects of meth in the poor regions of South Carolina have caused an increase in other areas of crime. Crystal Meth is very inexpensive compared to cocaine. Areas like Charleston and Myrtle Beach do not have the high level of crystal meth. Cocaine and marijuana are more prevalent in the metropolitan areas. We have defended clients for meth labs and marijuana grow houses in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
