Updated June 4, 2026, 6:18 p.m. ETSix people, including two managers, were indicted in a statewide immigration operation in South Carolina.The individuals face charges of forgery, identity fraud, and criminal conspiracy.The operation took place at a precision casting facility in Abbeville County.Recent law enforcement operations in the Upstate have resulted in numerous arrests for alleged immigration and criminal violations.Dozens of undocumented immigrants were detained and a Greenville County man arrested in a raid on an Abbeville County business.At a June 4 press conference, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, said 48 people were detained by immigration forces on June 3 at Burnstein Von Seelen Precision Casting in Abbeville, with six people indicted suspected in an identity fraud and forgery operation.Five of the people indicted were arrested, and one remains at-large. Among the indicted, four face forgery and identity fraud charges. Two others were managers at the facility and charged with criminal conspiracy, identity fraud and forgery.The joint operation was conducted by state, local law enforcement, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.“If you are unlawfully aiding illegal immigrants in South Carolina, you are going to be investigated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Wilson, also a Republican candidate for governor. The outcome was not clear for workers detained but not arrested.The six people indicted include:Jose Luis Aguilar Mejia - Greenwood County, two counts of forgery of more than $10,000 and three counts of identity fraud.Lazaro Hernandez Hernandez, also known as “Diego Hernandez" - Greenville County, forgery of more than $10,000, identity fraud.Xavier Martinez Adorno - Horry County, four counts of forgery of more than $10,000, three counts of identity fraud. Zenon Rojas-Cabrera - Newberry County, two counts of identity fraud to obtain employment, four counts of forgery of more than $10,000.Christopher Douglas Ramey - Abbeville County, criminal conspiracy, identity fraud to obtain employment, forgery of more than $10,000.Sandy Lynn Willis - Abbeville County, criminal conspiracy, identity fraud to obtain employment, forgery of more than $10,000.The indictments allege that Mejia, Hernandez, Adorno, and Rojas-Cabrera were document vendors who obtained false state driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, or other false identification for undocumented immigrants to use. The false identity cards included the use of the dates of birth and Social Security numbers of U.S. citizens.The indictments allege that the managers, Ramey and Willis, intentionally didn't verify the legitimacy of identifications before hiring employees and facilitated the use of forged identity documents by illegal immigrants at the business.Recent ICE presence in the UpstateThe South Carolina Law Enforcement Agency on June 3 reported that ICE agents made 114 arrests for alleged immigration and criminal violations on Interstate 85 from May 12 to May 14. The effort to reduce commercial motor vehicle collisions was another a joint operation that involved ICE along with state and local enforcement agencies but in Spartanburg County.The Department of Homeland Security also assisted in a separate operation that targeted drivers whom agents alleged had fraudulent commercial driver’s licenses and individuals with illegal operator licenses.There were 145 stops and 77 vehicle inspections. One stop netted 10 kilograms of cocaine worth $200,000, according to SLED.Law enforcement issued 89 citations for traffic and safety violations and 22 drivers and vehicles were removed from service.The 287(g) programThe operations were a part of the 287(g) Program, which partners ICE with South Carolina law enforcement agencies.The agencies that participated were the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Duncan Police Department, and the South Carolina Transport Police.The program trains local law enforcement agencies and enables them to enforce aspects of U.S. immigration law.The Greenville County Sheriff's Office, the Anderson County Sheriff's Office, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office all participate in the program.