ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. — The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office has joined a statewide law enforcement partnership focused on investigating fatal fentanyl overdoses and identifying the individuals and organizations responsible for distributing the drug.
The agency announced Tuesday that it has assigned an investigator to the DEA Fentanyl Overdose Response Team, also known as FORT. The partnership brings together local investigators, prosecutors and federal law enforcement agencies to share intelligence, coordinate cases and investigate fentanyl-related deaths.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, joining the team will provide STPSO investigators with additional resources, specialized expertise and access to real-time intelligence from agencies across Louisiana. Officials said the collaboration may also help investigators connect cases that cross parish lines and identify larger drug-trafficking networks.
“Fentanyl continues to devastate families in St. Tammany and across Louisiana, and we are committed to doing everything we can to stop it,” Sheriff Bret Ibert said in the announcement.
Ibert said the partnership will strengthen the agency’s ability to identify those bringing fentanyl into local communities, hold them accountable and help prevent future overdose deaths.
District Attorney Collin Sims said the addition of STPSO expands the network of law enforcement officers and prosecutors working to combat the fentanyl crisis. Sims said agencies can build stronger cases by working together and sharing critical intelligence.
DEA Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott of the New Orleans Field Division said the team is intended to break down jurisdictional barriers and allow agencies to share information while targeting the trafficking organizations driving fentanyl distribution.
Scott said the DEA is committed to working alongside STPSO to investigate fatal fentanyl poisonings as homicides and seek justice for affected families.
Under Louisiana law, individuals accused of distributing illegal drugs that result in a fatal overdose may face serious criminal charges, including second-degree murder when the facts and applicable law support such a charge.
“If you’re dealing fentanyl in St. Tammany Parish, we’re going to do everything we can to find you and hold you accountable,” Ibert said. “If your actions cost someone their life, we’re going to pursue every legal avenue available.”