Local, state and federal authorities say an 8-month investigation into an illegal night club near Ladson culminated early Sunday morning with the arrests of 80 people, including two alleged cartel members and a murder suspect wanted in Honduras. The Department of Homeland Security says most of those taken into custody are undocumented immigrants.
“We’ve also identified a number of potential trafficking victims who were removed from the situation and are being assisted,” Charleston County Sheriff Carl Ritchie said.
The sheriff made the announcement Monday in North Charleston, surrounded by more than a dozen people including the governor and the state attorney general. He said authorities began investigating the Alamo nightclub on Highway 78 last November after a series of noise complaints turned into calls for assaults and other illegal activity.
Then, in the early morning hours of June 1st, local police along with Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) joined more than 60 agents with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for what’s now being called, “Operation Last Stand”.
“Our dog fighting unit, our SWAT team were here and assisted in the entry of this location,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “Our aviation unit was here and provided overwatch.”
Authorities say they made five criminal arrests while confiscating cars, guns, drugs and a large amount of money that’s total is still being tallied. They also say they found a missing juvenile in the crowd of roughly 200 people at 3 a.m.
“It’s important to keep in mind that this was a cartel after party,” said Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Cardell Morant.
“So, everyone there had their IDs checked and were processed and either arrested or released.”
Fernando Soto, the founder of a Spanish newspaper, says he’s been speaking with the family members of some of those arrested Sunday.
“People are not buying the narrative that everybody there was a criminal or that everybody that was detained had a criminal record,” Soto said.
He says one mother is trying to get in touch with her 24-year-old son who has no criminal record but is undocumented. The Department of Homeland Security says roughly 70 of the 80 people arrested were in the country illegally and are now being processed in Folkston, Ga.
Soto wants to know when and why ICE became involved in a Lowcountry nightclub that was initially investigated for noise complaints.
“It feels like it’s very targeted,” Soto said. “It further creates a divide within the community trying to build trust with law enforcement.”
Governor Henry McMaster applauded the multi-agency operation.
“I can’t think of a single good thing that would have been going on at this location at this time of the night,” he said.
“But this is what we’re getting as a result of the lack of enforcement and the non-enforcement of the laws under the Biden administration.”
Authorities say the investigation into the now shuttered Alamo nightclub is far from over. They expect to release more details in the coming days.
