Berkeley County, S.C. – A 32-year-old man was arrested after being cited for illegal grilling at a Berkeley County boat landing. The incident, which occurred on June 28, also led to the discovery of an outstanding federal warrant for his arrest issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The Incident
Deputies from the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office were patrolling the Hatchery Boat Landing in the Cross community when they noticed several vehicles that had previously been warned for attempting to bring charcoal grills onto the beach. Charcoal grilling is prohibited under a county ordinance, and those caught violating the rule were cited by deputies.
As deputies identified the violators, they discovered that Marco Tulio Lopez Ramirez, a Guatemalan national, had an outstanding federal ICE warrant. According to the sheriff’s office, Lopez Ramirez was previously arrested in North Charleston last year, which led to an investigation by ICE. Following that arrest, a warrant for removal from the United States was issued against him.
Arrest and Transfer to ICE Custody
Lopez Ramirez was arrested and taken to the Hill-Finklea Detention Center in Berkeley County. He was later transferred to the custody of ICE for further proceedings related to the warrant. In addition to the federal warrant, he was also cited for violating the county’s charcoal grilling ordinance.
The arrest highlights the ongoing efforts of Berkeley County law enforcement to enforce local ordinances and cooperate with federal agencies like ICE to address immigration issues.
