Drug Trafficking Indictments Issued to Mexican Drug Cartel
More than 40 people associated with a Mexican drug cartel have been indicted of drug trafficking, according to U.S. Attorney General Alan Wilson. ENRIQUE CASTRO/AFP via Getty Image

More than 40 people associated with a Mexican drug cartel have been charged in a drug trafficking case known as "Las Senoritas," according to South Carolina's Attorney General Alan Wilson.

WYFF reported that the probe was named "Las Senoritas" as several of the main targets were women who fled to Mexico to evade prosecution in the U.S.

Wilson announced Thursday that the South Carolina State Grand Jury had issued indictments with 170 charges against 43 defendants.

The attorney general noted that drug trafficking involving drug cartels happens in South Carolina, and they are fighting to stop it.

He then mentioned the partnership between state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute trafficking conspiracies.

The attorney general said the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and local law enforcement started making arrests Tuesday as part of the investigation.

The probe focused on a drug trafficking organization operating in Pickens, Greenville, Anderson, Laurens, and Oconee counties.

'Las Senoritas' Defendants Linked to a Mexican Drug Cartel

Investigators noted that six defendants who fled to Mexico are now living among Jalisco cartel members and are sourcing drugs directly from the Mexican drug cartel.

The women reportedly coordinated with inmates at the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) through contraband cell phones to deliver drugs, mostly methamphetamine, to co-conspirators.

Prosecutors said the co-conspirators would then drive to Atlanta and other locations to pick up kilos of methamphetamine and distribute them in the Upstate of South Carolina.

The six accused were identified as Chelsie Marie Anderson, Jennifer Nicole Burns, Amy Deanna Cobb, Marcy Dawn Vickers, Michael Pardi, and Kelli Edwards.

SCDC inmates Darrell Foster McCoy, Jr. and his brother, Matthew David McCoy, have been reportedly involved in drug trafficking since 2011.

They have been imprisoned at SCDC since 2015 and have allegedly continued trafficking methamphetamine from jail using contraband mobile phones.

The 43 co-conspirators were charged with trafficking 400 grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a prison sentence of up to 30 years.

A South Carolina circuit court judge has denied bond for 23 of the 32 defendants.

Jalisco Cartel of Mexico

The Jalisco New Generation Cartel or Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG) of Mexico is also reportedly operating in other countries.

U.S. officials said the cartel controls the movement of more than a third of all drugs consumed in the U.S. and has expanded into Central and South America, Europe, and Asia.

The Jalisco cartel had risen to power after former Sinaloa Cartel capo Ignacio Coronel, known as "Nacho," was killed in July 2010 by Mexican security forces.

Nacho's death resulted in the split of the Sinaloa Cartel into two factions, the "La Resistencia" and "Torcidos." The "Torcidos" became what is now the Jalisco cartel, which has since expanded rapidly.

Nemesio "El Mencho" Oseguera Cervantes, who currently heads the Jalisco cartel, continues to evade capture.

The U.S. government has already offered a $10 million reward for information leading to his arrest. However, he remains to be the most elusive criminal, and he is reportedly hiding in Mexico.

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Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: 43 People Associated With Mexican Drug Cartels Charged in South Carolina. AG Says - From WYFF News 4