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11-06-2009
Law enforcement officials from across all of north Louisiana gathered in Ruston this week to announce some very good news.
With the good news comes the bad, unfortunately — residents of Lincoln Parish learned a sad truth about Ruston, one that shocked many of us. Local, state and federal law enforcement officials announced the results of what they said was the largest drug bust of their careers. They learned that an organization in Ruston was the largest supplier of cocaine in north central Louisiana (and even parts of south Arkansas).
Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone said the organization is the largest, most complex and well organized of anything he has ever seen in all his years of law enforcement. The organization was responsible for distributing hundreds of kilos of cocaine every year, which is a substantial amount, Stone said. As of this time, the investigation has resulted in 27 federal indictments and 10 guilty pleas. This investigation continues at both the state and federal level, and law enforcement officials are now pursuing at least 100 other people of interest in north Louisiana, Stone said.
According to Stone and other law-enforcement officials, the members of the organization relied on a Houston-based supplier. The list of Lincoln Parish residents allegedly involved in this particular drug organization is numerous. The arrests and indictments will make north Louisiana a safer place, said Lincoln Parish District Attorney Bob Levy. Drugs are a scourge on our community, and we must all commend area law enforcement officers for uncovering each complex layer of this organization. All of that required many tedious hours of work — but it all paid off in the end.
The city of Ruston may have generated headlines because of an awful reason, but our residents can make up for that by staying vigilant about the local drug trade.
Don’t hesitate to call local law enforcement if you know of any suspicious drug activity — all of our livelihoods depend on us living in the safest community possible.
You may even call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 255-1111 if you wish.
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