The Greenville County Mulit-jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit issued the following media release Thursday.
The Greenville County Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU), SLED, and the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office Directed Patrol Unit seized 15.5 pounds of cocaine destined for distribution throughout Greenville County.
During the investigation into the distribution of cocaine into the Greenville area, DEU investigators learned of an incoming shipment of cocaine. DEU Investigators identified a hotel on the northeast side of Atlanta where individuals from Houston were stopped waiting on the transfer of cocaine.
After confirming the transfer had occurred, DEU investigators relayed information to the GCSO DPU who was able to stop the vehicle occupied by three individuals after it entered Greenville County.
Later, SLED Special Agents encountered a fourth subject at a truck stop located at Exit 4 on I-85 and detained him regarding his involvement with the shipment.
"Yesterday’s effort was the result of many long hours and a combined effort of the inter-agency partnership formed with the participating agencies of the multi-jurisdictional drug unit along with SLED," said Bart McEntire, commander of the DEU.
In the enforcement action, four Hispanic males were arrested and charged with Trafficking Cocaine in one of the largest local agency narcotics seizure in years. Juan Pablo Colagio, Julio Alberta Canales, and Evian Arias-Abreu were stopped by the GCSO DPU on I-185 near White Horse Road. Canales and Coalgio, both from Houston, Texas, and Arias-Abreu from Miami, Florida were arrested after 10 individually wrapped bundles of cocaine were located in the vehicle. Eliseo Santos from Houston, Texas was taken into custody a short time later by DEU and SLED.
McEntire added, “The officers in this investigation worked more than 36 continuous hours to identify this shipment of cocaine. I am extremely proud of the hard work and dedication of the members of the DEU. The large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine seizures by law enforcement working together continue to remove dangerous and deadly narcotics from our communities and disrupt the operations of these criminal groups.”