This operation is being handled by the U.S. Attorneys Office, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Baton Rouge Police Department, the West Baton Rouge Parish Sheriffs Office, and the Ascension Parish Sheriffs Office. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert W. Piedrahita, Peter Smyczek and Elizabeth White. In the novel, McCarthy, a National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winner, sets up the initial death scene confronting the hunter: In the first vehicle there was a man slumped dead over the wheel. - Shot on north Foster on Satuday night. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Lawsuit by slain drug smuggler Barry Seal's daughter over 'American Made' deal dismissed. I am grateful to our prosecutors and to our federal, state, and local partners for their outstanding efforts and for removing this dangerous dealer, and his poisonous drugs from our streets. Seal had infiltrated the Medellin cartel and agreed to cooperate with U.S. authorities after his own 1983 arrest on drug charges in Florida. This lengthy sentence sends a message of our unending resolve to pursue drug traffickers who wreak havoc in our communities.. "Ran through numerous stop signs and lights, committed numerous traffic violations and from there, he decided to bail from that rolling vehicle," said Cpl. He used "crack"addicts to test the quality of the "crack"he cooked before selling it to others. The following ten (10) defendants are charged in the superseding indictment. Escobar, who ruled the powerful Medellin Cartel, preceded El Chapo in grabbing global headlines until authorities gunned him down in 1993 at age 44, a scenario laid out in the 2001 nonfiction book Killing Pablo by former Philadelphia Inquirer investigative reporter Mark Bowden. February 2023 was the 10 th warmest on record in the Baton Rouge area, going back to 1892. EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH - Deputies have Wednesday PM Forecast: record warmth to break with late week cold front. Law enforcement agents also executed a search warrant that day at Herrara-Romeros nearby residence at 13822 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where they found triple beam and digital scales, a. Plus, police said they saw Ronrico Terrell, 38, "going into the attic with a firearm in his hand. (WAFB) - The East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office reported a narcotics investigation involving multiple agencies resulted in five arrests and the seizure of more than. He served as press secretary for Nevada Governor Bob Miller, and was political editor at the Las Vegas Sun and managing editor at KFSM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Northwest Arkansas. During sentencing, the Court noted Perry's cold-blooded and callous statements about one of the arsonists, as he lay dying in his backyard, seeking medical assistance for the injuries he sustained from the fire Perryhad hired him to set. Golphin is in custody, but Sanders is a fugitive. Some link changes in weather with body aches Gavin Dugas' 9th inning homer lifts No. During Wednesday's sentencing, the Court found that Perrymade his living trafficking drugs and that he did whatever it took to protect his drug trafficking enterprise. It wasn't something I would have known was stolen. "Ardoin said others within the narcotics division also witnessed this, but he was the only one who spoke up. "Attorney Dedrick Moore who is also working the case echoed those sentiments and believes a number of reforms need to be made. U.S. Attorney Green stated: As our nation continues to examine ways to tackle the many challenges associated with illegal drugs, we will and must remember this hard reality: Drug traffickers often use brutal violence in our communities to enforce their market share and to ensure their collection efforts. Published: Aug. 20, 2015 at 1:07 PM PDT. Seal, a government informant, was murdered outside a halfway house on Airline Highway in Baton Rouge. Marshals Service. All rights reserved. Mary Ellen Roy, an attorney for Universal, declined comment Friday. Official websites use .gov "They unnecessarily the way they handled him, unnecessary tased him for no reason at all, throwed him all on the ground, just unnecessary," said James Howard, Terrell's cousin. Banks was charged along with twenty other individuals in connection with an extensive federal, state, and local investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) aimed at a drug trafficking organization FreeBandz based and operating in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. "He's made comments about planting drugs on other people when he arrested them," Ardoin said. Maughan said he disagrees with the conclusion that all rights flow from legislation. Huge 4th inning powers St. John's past Southeastern. Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney Generals drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, money laundering organizations, and related criminal enterprises. In Hogans true-crime book Hunting El Chapo, written with Douglas Century, the DEA agent repeats this story about the death toll, illustrating how El Chapo, a crime lord from northwestern Mexico whose real name is Joaquin Guzmn Loera, ruled with murderous intent in snuffing out rivals and quashing disloyalty. He don't smoke baby. U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Louisiana, Leader of Baton Rouge-Based "FreeBandz" Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 181 Months in Federal Prison, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, Federal Jury Convicts Baton Rouge Man of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Marijuana, and Methamphetamine, Member of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 235 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Offense, Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 228 Months in Federal Prison for Gun, Drug, and Possession of Contraband in Prison Charges, Leader of Baton Rouge Based "FreeBandz" Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced To 181 Months In Federal Prison. Thirteen thousand? El Chapo (Shorty) supposedly replied. What he has told each person has resulted in a department investigation, officer transfers, a police officers arrest and hundreds of drug charges being dismissed. As an example of his danger to the community, the Court noted that reliable evidence suggested that Perry had hired an individual and two young men to set an elderly man's house on fire. Main Office: Of the 1,451 journalists and media workers killed around the world since 1992 in which a motive has been confirmed, 48 were in Mexico, the CPJ website notes. The dog was gutshot.. A locked padlock Among those who have written about the corrupt alliance between public officials and drug traffickers is Mexican investigative reporter Anabel Hernndez, author of Narcoland, first published in 2010. The movie, based on a novel also titled Savages, by crime writer Don Winslow, underscores the contention that heavy drug use in the United States is the catalyst for this drug war violence. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Maybe a couple thousand.. On June 18, 2015, Judge Dick sentenced Charles Boyer who, along with Perry and Chapman, had also been convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, to a 10 year term of imprisonment. "You can look at it as a quota," Ardoin said. Those indicted from Baton Rouge are Ronrico Terrell Sr., 38; Rahkeyah Boo Howard, 33; Johntha Rochon Williams, 32; Bristen Rudy LaCour, 24; Troy A. CASES DISMISSED AND GROWING FALLOUTMonths after the arrests of Ardoin and Acree, District Attorney Hillar Moore's office dismissed 640 drug charges for defendants with pending cases. WBRZ interviewed an eye witness last night wh Today, the OCDETF Program is the centerpiece of the United States Attorney Generals drug strategy to reduce the availability of drugs by disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. BATON ROUGE, LAUnited States Attorney David R. Dugas announced that a federal jury in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on May 20, 2009, convicted TOMMY WALTERS, age 32, of Baton Rouge,. Cedric Clay, aka "Tyson" - Charges: PWITD Sch. BATON ROUGE- Planting drugs, coverups, quotas, a term called "snapping" - it is how the Baton Rouge drug squad handled itself, a former officer told WBRZ in a tell-all interview. It was a brand new package in the box, still had plastic wrap around the items, Styrofoam in the boxes. As Chief Murphy Paul stated this week, these allegations are being taken seriously, and the Department is currently conducting a criminal and administrative investigation related to them. He walked around the end of the truck. WAFB asked Marcelle if drugs were sold out of the home. Read more here: https://www.wbrz.com/news/drug-kingpin-who-evaded-arrest-for-years-now-charged-in-multiple-baton-rouge-killings. U.S. Attorney's Office, Middle District of Louisiana, Major Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison on Drug Trafficking and Gun Charges, Federal Jury Convicts Baton Rouge Man of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin, Marijuana, and Methamphetamine, Member of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 235 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Offense, Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 228 Months in Federal Prison for Gun, Drug, and Possession of Contraband in Prison Charges, Major Drug Trafficker Sentenced To Federal Prison On Drug Trafficking and Gun Charges. The counterfeit pills were tainted with undisclosed amounts of heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl analogues, clonazolam, and other controlled substances that Banks co-conspirator obtained from sources located in Houston, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. A lock ( To date, Mexico is the most dangerous country in the Western Hemisphere for journalists, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. During their investigation, law enforcement agents recovered a .380 caliber Taurus revolver, a .556 caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic rifle, and five semi-automatic pistols of varying calibers from a number of residences and commercial premises that were used to store drugs and drug proceeds, and to conduct drug transactions. Beyond were two more bodies lying in the gaunt yellow grass. Bell, 25; Michael C. Finley, 43; and Eric ONeal Selders, 42. A recent Clint Eastwood movie, The Mule, about an elderly drug runner for the cartels, has its roots in a New York Times Magazine article regarding Leo Sharp, a World War II Army veteran with no previous criminal record, who was imprisoned for his role in trafficking narcotics as a Sinaloa cartel carrier, or mule. Called Tata (the grandfather), Sharp is thought to have earned more than $1 million for his hauls in 2010. So officers had to take it apart and that's what has homeowners here claiming police used excessive force. ARDOIN COOPERATES WITH BRPD INVESTIGATIONFollowing Ardoin's arrest, he told investigators everything he believed was concerning within the drug force. What else could be better than to see the man in real life, the actor said. If convicted, these defendants face significant terms of imprisonment, fines, and the forfeiture of proceeds from the illegal activity. After being charged, he started cooperating with department investigators probing allegations of wrong doing. , DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph W. Shepherd stated: DEA-Baton Rouge will continue to purse aggressive and ambitious enforcement efforts to send a message to drug trafficking organizations that we will not tolerate the collateral damage inflicted on our communities as a result of their illicit drug activities. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. "I realized the informant, the person that I purchased items from, was a confidential informant for detective Jason Acree. As the Court found, Perry often used violence. According. On March 18, 2015, during the execution of a search warrant at a storage unit at 13822 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA, law enforcement officers seized approximately 18 pounds of high-grade methamphetamine. Jailed after a manhunt, the drug kingpin known globally as El Chapo expressed genuine surprise several years ago when interrogators from the Mexican attorney generals office blamed 13,000 homicides on him. Collins was allegedly the only one of the hitmen whom Harris paid upfront, giving him $2,000 and two ounces of heroin to kill Dixon. The drug trafficking operation formed in or before 2016 and continued until it was disrupted by law enforcement intervention in 2018. This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert W. Piedrahita, who serves as Litigation Counsel within the United States Attorney's Office, and Assistant United States Attorney Chris Dippel, who serves as a Deputy Criminal Chief. With this going on, interest in stories about the cartels shows no sign of waning. What he said in a TV interview has only been heard directly from a small group: The FBI, the Baton Rouge Police Chief and Nakamoto. On Thursday, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome's office released a statement in response to Nakamoto's interview with Ardoin. BATON ROUGE, LA - United States Attorney Walt Green announced today the unsealing of a series of federal grand jury indictments in Operation I Spy, an extensive investigation into a drug trafficking network operating in the Baton Rouge region. WBRZ made an editorial decision to release aspects of the interview before it was broadcast to allow the department ample time to respond. NOTE: An indictment is an accusation by the Grand Jury. While Guzman has been at the center of news coverage lately, stories about violent drug trafficking in general have unfolded for some time, focusing not only on El Chapo but on others such as Colombias Pablo Escobar. The movie and book center on a fictional Texan who, while hunting antelope near the Rio Grande, stumbles across the bodies of heroin dealers in a desolate area of baked terracotta terrain. After the man takes a large stash of drug money discovered at the scene, a heart-pounding hunt for him propels the story toward a dark conclusion. "It was so large that it wouldn't flush," said Cpl. "When there's a violator, somebody who's committed a crime, if they run inside of a home and we're in pursuit of that particular individual, we are allowed to go inside," said Cpl. The drone of flies. "He told investigators he watched his colleague, Jason Acree, steal drugs from the evidence room. WATCH WBRZ NEWS 2 AT 6:00 AND 10:00 WEDNESDAY FOR A TWO-PART INVESTIGATION STREAM THE NEWS LIVE HERE. "I addressed what they call, 'snapping,'" Ardoin said. This matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kleinpeter, who also serves as a deputy criminal chief. A few days after this robbery, Perry enlisted Allen's assistance to rob one of his customers of approximately $80,000. UPDATE: Martrell Harris was arrested March 2021 on first-degree murder charges. The 1st Circuit found "that the challenged actions of Universal and the Seal defendants were in the exercise of free speech.". United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced the sentencing of Victor Welton, age 49, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as part of Operation Going Bacc to Cali, an extensive federal United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Ashton Matta, age 33, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 228 months in federal prison Middle District of Louisiana MACHADO-GALEANA used a nominee to purchase cashiers checks and forward those to his marijuana supplier in California. This conviction and sentence is yet another demonstration of our commitment to making our communities safer by combatting violent drug trafficking organizations. A Hollywood version depicting Escobars smuggling operation popped up again in the 2017 movie American Made, with Tom Cruise portraying drug-running former commercial pilot Barry Seal of Louisiana, who used a remote airstrip in Mena, Arkansas, to import narcotics into the United States. 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