Multi-Agency Joint Investigation Shuts Down New Orleans Crack Cocaine Lab, Netting Major Narcotics Seizure and Arrest
In total, the enforcement action resulted in the seizure of 2.6 kilograms of cocaine, 1.9 grams of fentanyl, one firearm, $4,680 cash, and assorted drug paraphernalia.
NEW ORLEANS – A coordinated, multi-agency narcotics investigation led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field Division, alongside the Louisiana State Police High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (LSP HIDTA), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), has resulted in the arrest of a New Orleans man and the dismantling of a local clandestine laboratory.
Devin Harry, 43, of New Orleans, was taken into custody following a strategic interdiction and enforcement operation that removed kilogram quantities of cocaine and lethal fentanyl from the community.
This operation underscores the critical impact of federal and state law enforcement partnerships in dismantling drug trafficking networks at every level. By intercepting these shipments and shutting down a conversion laboratory right in the heart of New Orleans, we have stopped dangerous narcotics from hitting our streets and held a violent offender accountable. The DEA and our partners remain relentless in our mission to protect our communities from the poison of drug trafficking.
- DEA Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer, New Orleans Field Division
The investigation began in early April 2026 when federal agents and postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious parcel shipped from Houston, Texas, to New Orleans. A subsequent search revealed one kilogram of cocaine expertly concealed inside a board game box. DEA agents and task force officers quickly connected the shipment to Harry, tracking his recent travel to the United States-Mexico border region and Houston.
On April 14, 2026, investigators executed a controlled delivery operation, during which Harry took possession of the target parcel. Shortly after, LSP Troop NOLA personnel conducted a tactical traffic stop on Harry's vehicle on St. Claude Avenue. A search of Harry and his vehicle yielded approximately 66 grams of cocaine on his person, additional cocaine packaged for illicit distribution, and the intercepted parcel.
The operation culminated in the execution of federal and state search warrants at residences on Pauline Street and Gravier Street in New Orleans. Inside, agents discovered a fully functional clandestine laboratory utilized to convert powder cocaine into crack cocaine for local resale.
In total, the enforcement action resulted in the seizure of:
- 2.6 kilograms of cocaine,
- 1.9 grams of fentanyl,
- One firearm,
- $4,680 in U.S. currency,
- and assorted drug paraphernalia.
Harry was booked into the Orleans Parish Jail and faces numerous federal and state charges, including: Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Firearm in the Presence of a Controlled Dangerous Substance; two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance (Cocaine and Fentanyl); Conspiracy to Distribute a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance (Cocaine); Operation of a Clandestine Laboratory; Violation of a Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substance Law in a Drug-Free Zone; Transactions Involving Proceeds from Drug Offenses; and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the appropriate jurisdiction. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
