Sumter County deputies arrest 9, ticket 4 during recent I.C.E. Operation

During the week of Labor Day, 13 people were arrested on drug or drug trafficking charges during a local drug bust operation led by Sumter deputies.

The Sumter County Sheriff's Office, along with the Florence County Sheriff's Office, Lee County Sheriff's Office, Dillon County Sheriff's Office, Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office and Department of Homeland Security, conducted Operation I.C.E. Storm on Interstate 95 in Sumter County.

Among the 13, nine were arrested while four were issued tickets for possession of marijuana between Sept. 7-10, according to Deputy Adrienne Sarvis, public information officer for the sheriff's office. Two were from Connecticut, three from South Carolina, three from New York, four from Florida and one from North Carolina.

Sarvis said the goal of the operation was to enforce traffic laws and also to detect possible criminal behavior while interacting with individuals during traffic stops.

One subject, a 26-year-old man from Orangeburg, attempted to flee from law enforcement but wrecked after a spike strip was used to flatten the vehicle tires, according to the sheriff's office.

Sarvis said the man threatened to harm himself when officers approached the stopped vehicle, but he surrendered when a K-9 unit arrived on scene. He was apprehended without further incident.

Deputies later determined the Orangeburg man was wanted out of Florence County and had fled from South Carolina Highway Patrol in the same vehicle two weeks prior to the traffic stop, Sarvis said.

While searching a vehicle during another traffic stop, deputies reportedly found a hidden compartment which contained drugs and money.

In total, officers seized 2.3 pounds of cocaine, 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine, 10 grams of heroin, 7 pounds of marijuana, 5 illegal firearms, $105,798 in U.S. cash and one vehicle, Sarvis said.

"Operation I.C.E. Storm has been successful since we started in 2018, and this year is no different," Sheriff Anthony Dennis said. "Just as with the verification of the subjects on the Sumter County Sex Offender Registry, our agency continually works to keep citizens safe. We are also thankful for the help from assisting jurisdictions that bolstered our efforts."