Mexican National Extradited to Face Drug and Money Laundering Criminal Charges

FLORENCE, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Florence has returned a two-count indictment charging Rafael Contreras, 38, of Mexico, with distributing cocaine and heroin and money laundering. Contreras was extradited from Mexico and arraigned in federal court in Florence this morning.

The indictment alleges that Contreras directed the sale and distribution of large quantities of heroin and cocaine from Mexico, with the narcotics largely being sold in Horry County.

“The extradition of this defendant marks a victory in our fight against transnational criminal organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “We are grateful for the close cooperation with our law enforcement partners in Mexico and here in the United States. This extradition demonstrates our unwavering commitment to prosecuting those bringing illegal narcostics into our communities.”

“This indictment and extradition send a clear message: the FBI is relentless in its pursuit of the criminals behind large-scale drug operations,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia field office. “The defendant, as alleged, caused significant harm to Horry County by directing the distribution of lethal amounts of heroin and cocaine. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will continue to expose and root out international drug trafficking networks that threaten the safety of our communities.”

Contreras faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. He is currently detained pending trial.

This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Horry County Police Department, the Horry County Sheriff’s Office, and the Myrtle Beach Police Department. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Contreras. The U.S. Marshals Service completed the removal of Contreras from Mexico to the District of South Carolina. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn is prosecuting the case.

All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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