HIGHWAY PATROL SEIZES HEROIN VALUED AT $30 MILLION

COLUMBIA – The South Carolina Department of Public Safety announced that the Highway Patrol ACE Team seized three kilograms of heroin following a routine traffic stop on August 15 on Interstate 95 in Clarendon County. The investigation has been turned over to the Florence office of the Drug Enforcement Administration. DEA officials estimated the street value of the heroin at $30 million.

After stopping a vehicle for speeding, troopers discovered the high-grade heroin in powder and shampoo bottles in luggage on the rear seat of the vehicle. Jose Ramirez of Bronx, N.Y. and Juan Aquino of Miami Springs, Fla., were arrested and charged with trafficking in heroin.

Earlier in the week, the Patrol’s ACE Team seized 18 pounds of marijuana in a traffic stop on Interstate 20 in Lexington County.

The Highway Patrol is a division of the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, which also includes the Criminal Justice Academy, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Highway Safety, State Transport Police, Bureau of Protective Services and Division of Motor Vehicles. DPS has more than 2,600 employees in offices statewide. Our mission is to ensure public safety by protecting and serving the people of South Carolina and its visitors.

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