40 arrested in French Quarter drug sting
16th November 2015 · 0 Comments
An undercover French Quarter drug sting nabbed 40 suspects, NOPD and Louisiana State Police officials announced Tuesday. Six more people are being sought by police in connection with the drug sting, which started in April.
Police said the drugs being sold included marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine and hash. State Police Col. Mike Edmonson said the drug problem in New Orleans is rampant, and even tourists have been affected by it.
“Tourists told us on any given night on Bourbon Street people were coming up to them offering them drugs,” Edmonson told FOX 8.
In addition to the uniformed troopers who are routinely on the lookout for drugs, Edmonson also sent additional plainclothes officers to the city to follow leads and tips. The LSP chief said most of the drugs are coming from Texas, and those arrested include both sellers and buyers.
Since March 11, troopers have seized 128 “illegally possessed” guns, recovered 190 stolen vehicles and seized over $1.3 million of illegal narcotics (street value).
Authorities are seeking asking assistance from the public in locating suspects who are still at large in order to continue with efforts to rid the Quarter of illegal drug activity and increased violent crime.
The Louisiana State Police on-line reporting system is available to the public through a convenient and secure reporting form that is submitted to the appropriate investigators. Citizens can access the form by visiting www.lsp.org and clicking the Suspicious Activity link.
NOPD Supt. Michael Harrison said at Tuesday’s press conference that the goal of the undercover drug sting was to improve the overall quality of life for French Quarter residents, business owners, workers and tourists.
New Orleans resident April Williams wondered if the French Quarter drug sting will push more drug activity into other parts of the city that are already being neglected by the undermanned NOPD.
“It has to go somewhere,” she told The Louisiana Weekly. “The drug peddlers who managed to slip through the cracks — and you know there are some — are simply going to find other places to sell their drugs. And what better place than neighborhoods where the police have little or no presence?
“Don’t be surprised if this leads to more gun violence since drug dealers that are already in these neighborhoods are not going to just hand over their turf to a new set of drug dealers,” she added.
The Rev. Raymond Brown, president of National Action Now, wondered why the rest of New Orleans — especially Black and low-income communities — seems to alway have to take a back seat to the French Quarter.
“We get that the French Quarter is the city and state’s golden goose, but the people of New Orleans work hard and pay taxes for services like police protection,” he told The Louisiana Weekly. “But we usually get very little in return for those taxes while the French Quarter gets not only high police protection but extra help from state troopers and other law enforcement agencies like university campus police, levee police and deputy sheriffs.
“When are we going to have a drug sting in eastern New Orleans to rid the community of drugs and the violence that comes with it?
“And when are we going to see the Justice Department, NOPD, ATF, DEA and all of the other law enforcement agencies come together to arrest and prosecute those who continue to ship drugs into New Orleans add end the genocide that these drugs and violence are causing?”
In other NOPD-related news, the NOPD First District General Assignment Unit assisted the Louisiana Probation and Parole officers with the arrest of 22-year-old Samuel Van and 22-year-old Amy Herrera. They confiscated over three pounds of marijuana, three packets of cocaine, 100 tablets of Ecstasy, 30 tablets of Tramadol and 28 grams of MDMA, a .38 caliber revolver and approximately $5,400.00 in cash.
The incident took place November 9, 2015, inside of a house located at 2310 Gravier Street.
Louisiana Probation and Parole officers conducted a residence check of the location and immediately smelled a strong odor of marijuana. Upon a further check of the residence, officers discovered over three pounds of marijuana, three packets of cocaine, 100 tablets of Ecstasy, 30 tablets of Tramadol and 28 grams of MDMA, a .38 caliber revolver and approximately $5,400.00 in cash.
This location was also reported by Crimestoppers for illegal drug activity.
NOPD First District General Assignment officers assisted in the investigation.
Samuel Van was booked with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Possession with the Intent to Distribute Ecstasy, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon and Probation Violation.
Amy Herrera was booked with Possession with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana, Possession with the Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Possession with the Intent to Distribute Ecstasy, and Possession of a Firearm while in Possession of Narcotics.
Samuel Van and Amy Herrera were transported to Central Lock-Up and booked accordingly.
This article originally published in the November 16, 2015 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
