ANDERSON, S.C. — In a significant blow to drug trafficking operations in the Upstate region, Jesus Paz Rodriguez, a 30-year-old from Phoenix, Arizona, has been handed a 10-year federal prison sentence for his role in a cocaine distribution conspiracy. United States District Judge Timothy M. Cain delivered the sentence following Paz-Rodriguez’s guilty plea to charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
The court was presented with compelling evidence that Paz-Rodriguez was instrumental in funneling at least 60 kilograms of cocaine into South Carolina from Arizona, starting in 2019 until his apprehension in February 2022. Paz-Rodriguez orchestrated the shipment of large quantities of cocaine from his base in Arizona to accomplices in Upstate South Carolina, who were responsible for further distribution. The operation also saw the return flow of drug proceeds from South Carolina to Paz-Rodriguez, underlining the sophistication and reach of the network he led.
The unraveling of this drug trafficking scheme came on February 9, 2022, when law enforcement officials executed a federal search warrant at a Mauldin, South Carolina, location used by Paz-Rodriguez and his co-conspirators as a hub for storing and distributing cocaine. The raid resulted in the seizure of multiple kilograms of cocaine, providing tangible evidence of the extensive nature of the operation.