Horry County Task Force cracks down on gang and drug violence

HORRY COUNTY, SC (WPDE) — During the Horry County Police Department's successful two-week special operation, over 200 grams of drugs and 58 weapons were seized and 80 arrests were made.

The task force arrested approximately 40 people associated with gangs throughout Horry County, and 46 arrests were made in connection with other crimes.

This was the first time the task force worked with the county's gang unit.

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Deputy Chief Kris Leonhardt said the cooperation with the gang unit contributed to the success of this operation.

I think the gang unit brings a new element to the matter and gives us a deeper insight into the information,” Leonhardt said.

The gang unit specialized in crime trends and began on the Highway 9 Corridor from Little River to Loris.

“We are actively searching for the people who commit these crimes,” Leonhardt said.

During the two-week operation, anonymous tips also came to the task force from the area surrounding the crime scenes.

“The people who live in these communities are our eyes and ears. This helps us get information and develop cases further,” Leonhardt said.

The task force's arrests included attempted murders, car thefts and drive-by shootings in the north and west of the county.

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The following items were seized and removed from the Horry County community:

• 64.6 grams of methamphetamine
• 55 grams of fentanyl
• 35.8 grams of crack cocaine
• 47.8 grams of cocaine

The Task Force also worked with local and state law enforcement agencies, including the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED), the U.S. Marshal's Service and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Horry County police did not disclose which gangs were involved in the operation or the arrests, but said multiple gangs were involved.