A federal jury in Charleston last week convicted the twelfth person in a string of indictments for cocaine trafficking and drug money laundering in the Goose Creek area. Carlos Tejada, age 30, of the Bronx, New York, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years imprisonment and faces a maximum term of life.
The two-year investigation revealed that the Goose Creek cell arranged for hundreds of kilograms of Mexican cocaine to be transported by cars with hidden compartments from Tuscon, Arizona, and El Paso, Texas, to South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, and New York for distribution. The cell also transported drug proceeds back to Arizona and Texas to members of Mexican drug cartels, who then smuggled the bulk U.S. currency to Mexico.
The case to date has resulted in the indictment of 18 people and the seizure of more than $2,000,000 in cash and 15 kilograms of cocaine. the remaining defendants are awaiting trial or are considered fugitives.
