Last Friday, November 14, law enforcement officials in St. James Parish arrested an individual on federal drug charges following a traffic stop on a vehicle patrolling along the Mississippi River levee system. The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) agents, who made the stop, were soon joined by a St. Charles Parish Sheriff's Office deputy and a trained drug-sniffing dog. The canine's actions indicated the presence of drugs within the vehicle, resulting in a detainment, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
After acquiring search warrants from the 23rd and 40th Judicial Districts, officers from the LDWF and deputies from both St. Charles and St. John Parish Sheriff's Offices conducted a thorough examination of the vehicle. Hidden ingeniously within two large vehicle batteries on the rear floorboard, agents uncovered an illegal cargo: each concealed four compressed blocks of suspected cocaine, ingeniously epoxied and sealed inside, alongside functioning power supplies.
A field test conducted on one of the blocks tested positive for cocaine, confirming the agents' suspicions. According to an official press release from the LDWF, over nine kilograms of suspected cocaine were seized along with the vehicle. The agents, due to the large quantity of suspected cocaine found, contacted the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The driver, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, faces serious federal charges for the knowing possession with intent to distribute cocaine, a Schedule II Controlled Substance. These charges align with Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A), referencing the possession of an amount of five kilograms or more. This operation highlights the collaborative efforts among various parishes and departments to address drug trafficking in Louisiana.
