International gang member arrested during Berkeley County traffic stop, deputies say

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A traffic stop in Moncks Corner led to the arrest of an international gang member.

A deputy with the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) was patrolling Highway 52 and Highway 402 on Saturday when he observed a vehicle with a defective taillight.

During a traffic stop, the deputies said there was an odor of marijuana coming from the window, and the driver, identified as 31-year-old Elmer Neftali Martinez-Escobar, admitted to having some marijuana inside the vehicle.

The sheriff’s office said Martinez-Escobar was flagged through a National Crime Information Center (NCIC) records check as having ties with transnational organized crime. It also showed he was a fugitive from El Salvador wanted for homicide.

The database also has him listed as being a member of the Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, gang, according to the sheriff’s office.

A clear plastic bag with about eight grams of marijuana was found during a probable cause search of the vehicle. He was arrested and charged with simple possession of marijuana.

“The Department of Justice was contacted at the request of the FBI. The information was confirmed through their agency and in return, a detainer was placed on Martinez-Escobar for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement,” said officials with the sheriff’s office. “Martinez-Escobar was confirmed to be a wanted illegal alien and he will be transferred to their custody.”

Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis said the traffic stop was a “great example” of deputies using their training to identify criminal offenders. “We never know what a traffic stop will bring but I trust that our deputies will continue to work hard to keep Berkeley County safe,” he said.

Martinez-Escobar is being held at the Hill-Finklea Detention Center.