South Carolina woman wanted for trafficking meth is found in Mexico

A South Carolina girl believed to be a member of a gaggle of drug traffickers often known as “Las Señoritas” was arrested Monday in Mexico Metropolis — the place she had been hiding for years to keep away from prosecution within the US.

Jennifer Burns, 40, who had an arrest warrant extradition to the US, was taken into custody in Miguel Hidalgo, a Mexico Metropolis neighborhood, the Secretary of Citizen Safety of Mexico (SSC) mentioned Monday.

Burns is one in all 43 defendants indicted in January on a collective 170 costs by the South Carolina Legal professional Basic’s Workplace. She was accused of conspiring to site visitors 400 grams or extra of methamphetamine.

On the time of her arrest, she was caught with 87 doses of cocaine and a field containing fentanyl.

The trafficking case, known as “Las Señoritas,” was given its identify as a result of its principal targets are girls who authorities imagine have run away to Mexico to keep away from prosecution within the US.

Burns and two different girls accused allegedly fled to Mexico someday between the tip of 2018 and 2020, South Carolina Legal professional Basic Alan Wilson mentioned in a launch.

Officers imagine the suspects have been dwelling amongst Jalisco New Era Cartel members and sourcing medication straight from the group.

Members of “Las Señoritas” communicated utilizing contraband cellphones with inmates within the upstate South Carolina counties of Pickens, Greenville, Laurens, Anderson and Oconee.

The ladies allegedly traveled to Atlanta and different cities to select up shipments of methamphetamine and produce it again to South Carolina, the place it was distributed by the upstate area.

Between Feb. 1, 2021, and Dec. 14, 2022, regulation enforcement seized over 25 kilograms of methamphetamine, which has a road worth of $800,000, in addition to 30 weapons.

All 43 of the co-conspirators have been charged with conspiring to site visitors 400 grams or extra of methamphetamine, a cost that carries a sentence of between 25 and 30 years.

“It would shock folks that cartel drug trafficking occurs in South Carolina, however it does and we’re combating to cease it,” Wilson mentioned in January whereas saying indictments towards the 43 defendants.

“By working with our companions at SLED (South Carolina Regulation Enforcement Division) and native businesses, we’re in a position to examine and prosecute advanced trafficking conspiracies like this one and defend the rule of regulation.”

Her extradition to the US was pending as of Tuesday.