Man Sentenced on Federal Drug Conspiracy Charge

Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated that Asuncion Sarminento Arguello a/k/a Asuncion Arguello Sarminento, age 34, of Veracruz, Mexico, was sentenced in federal court today to 108 months  imprisonment followed by a term of three years’ supervised release. On February 27, 2017, Arguello entered a guilty plea in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution a quantity of heroin and a quantity of cocaine in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846.  United States District Judge R. Bryan Harwell, of Florence, imposed the sentence. 

This case was part of an extensive investigation conducted by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Fifteenth Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) into the sale of heroin and other illegal drugs in the Horry County, South Carolina area. Arguello was identified as a possible heroin distributor. Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing and sentencing hearing established that agents made a controlled purchase of a quantity of heroin from Arguello in January 2016. Several months later, based on additional information learned during the investigation, agents stopped a vehicle occupied by Arguello. Agents searched the vehicle and located a loaded firearm, over 1 kilogram of heroin and nearly 500 grams of cocaine.

The case was investigated by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Fifteenth Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), and the Florence County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO). Assistant United States Attorney Christopher D. Taylor of the Florence office prosecuted the case.

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