FRANKLINTON, LA – District Attorney J. Collin Sims reports that on Thursday, August 27, 2026, a Washington Parish jury returned a guilty verdict in just 30 minutes, finding Derrick Fairley, 43, of Angie, Louisiana, guilty as charged of Second Degree Murder and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. The verdict...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Four Talladega men have been held accountable in federal court for their roles in a drug-trafficking conspiracy, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr. The four men were initially indicted together, but two previously pleaded guilty. The remaining two were set for trial last week before Chief...

OAKLAND – Joel Dowen was sentenced to eighteen years in federal prison on August 7, 2026, for engaging in a violent extortion scheme, shooting at a federal officer, drug dealing, and bank fraud. Co-defendant Micah-Luc Almeida was sentenced to three years in federal prison for conspiring to deal drugs with...

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field Division is issuing an urgent public safety advisory to residents across the Northshore, specifically St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, and Washington Parishes, warning of a deadly group of synthetic opioids known as nitazenes following a recent surge in fatal overdoses. Forensic analysis and recent...

OXFORD – U.S. Attorney Scott Leary presented three awards for investigative excellence to investigators relating to their work on a Homeland Security Task Force drug trafficking prosecution: • Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agent Josh Moore; • DeSoto County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant/DEA Task Force Officer Josh Bryant; and • Hernando...

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Yesterday, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Birmingham Police Department along with federal law enforcement partners highlighted their strong and ongoing partnership during a press conference focused on their coordinated efforts to make Birmingham safer. “This is the ultimate good news story! When we stand together, we...

San Francisco – On Friday, August 21, 2026, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will join Facing Fentanyl , to unite families, communities, and organizations across the country in recognizing National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the national observance which honors and remembers the...

MONROE, La. – On August 11, 2026, a federal jury found Donald Kelly, 44, of West Monroe, guilty of Distribution of Methamphetamine; Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine; Possession of Firearms by a Prohibited Person; and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime after a two-day trial...

ALEXANDRIA – On August 4, 2026, United States District Judge Jerry Edwards, Jr., sentenced Dequavious Wagner, 32, of Alexandria, to 270 months in federal prison after he pled guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking. He also received five...

OAKLAND – The government of Mexico recently deported Julio Palafox, a United States citizen, to the United States where he was arrested by the United States Marshals on a warrant to appear on charges stemming from his alleged involvement in the distribution of methamphetamine in the Bay Area. U.S. Marshals...