The Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA Midlands Initiative is a partnership of Federal, State, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies that conduct collaborative narcotics investigations within the State of South Carolina and coordinate with other jurisdictions throughout the country. The initiative is comprised of four multi-agency enforcement groups, which represent six counties of the state (Richland, Lexington, Greenville, Charleston, Florence, and Horry Counties).
Each collocated group is housed at, and led by, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in Columbia, Greenville, Charleston and Florence, South Carolina. Employing long-term, collaborative investigative strategies, all the respective Midlands Initiative task forces conduct investigations utilizing a variety of investigative techniques to identify, target, disrupt and dismantle local, regional and international Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) and Money Laundering Organizations (MLOs).
Cases often intersect with DEA Regional Priority Organization Targets (RPOTs) and/or Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs). The command-and-control elements of these DTOs primarily operate in the Republic of Mexico, facilitating the transportation and distribution of illicit and synthetic drugs from Mexico to South Carolina. The Midlands Initiative leverages HIDTA funds to support a multitude of investigative expenses, case support requirements, personnel overtime costs and training.