ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH, La. — A mountain of cocaine was taken off the street.
The St. John Sheriff’s Deputies and federal Drug Enforcement Agents raided a home in Laplace.
They seized 95 kilos of coke with a street value of about $2.5 million.
Authorities also discovered eight firearms and 45 grams of suspected pressed fentanyl pills.
“The weapons, the drugs, the way they operate, we’ve been watching them for a long time,” Sheriff Mike Tregre said. “They were prepared for whoever may try to stop them from what they were doing.”
Authorities delayed announcing the March 19 drug bust because agents were still searching for suspects up the chain.
They arrested three in St. John.
Sheriff Tregre says they may have been taking advantage of the post-Hurricane Ida recovery in his community.
“I think they came into our parish and set up shop in a neighborhood where people are still rebuilding. They just quietly came in.”
In addition to drugs and guns, the suspects also had about 100 chickens in the backyard.
The sheriff confirms an earlier raid in Laplace last September, where his deputies seized another 77 kilos of cocaine, led to this latest drug bust.
Area residents applaud the efforts to get illegal drugs off the streets.
“It’s a huge win for law enforcement,” Charles Johnson from Laplace said. “You could have a short life or a long life. I’ve seen what it can do to you.”
“Obviously, the sheriff’s office is doing its job,” Stewert Chandler from Montz said. “That’s refreshing. That’s good news.”
According to Sheriff Tregre, the drug operation busted in Laplace was way above street-level dealers. He described it as part of a national drug distribution network.
“These drugs we seized, the cocaine it was destined for various parts of the United States,” Tregre said. “A very organized and dangerous group that we’ve taken off the street.”
The investigation is still ongoing, and additional arrests could be made.
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