St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office Joins DEA Fentanyl Overdose Response Team
SLIDELL, La. - The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office has joined the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New Orleans Field Division's Northshore Opioid Initiative, commonly referred to as the DEA Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT). The partnership strengthens a statewide partnership dedicated to investigating fentanyl-related overdose poisonings, dismantling drug trafficking networks, and holding those responsible accountable.
The team brings together experienced investigators, prosecutors, and public safety partners to share intelligence, coordinate investigations, and target the people responsible for bringing fentanyl into Louisiana communities.
Under Louisiana law, anyone who distributes fentanyl, or other illegal drugs, that result in a fatal overdose can be charged with murder.
"Fentanyl continues to devastate families in St. Tammany and across Louisiana, and we are committed to doing everything we can to stop it," St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Bret Ibert said. "Having one of our investigators serve on this team strengthens our ability to send a clear message that there is no place for this dangerous drug in St. Tammany Parish."
By having an investigator assigned to FORT, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office gains access to additional investigative resources, specialized expertise, and real-time intelligence from law enforcement agencies across the state. The collaboration will help connect cases that cross parish lines, identify larger drug trafficking organizations, and strengthen overdose investigations.
"Our community expects us to work together to protect them, and that's exactly what this partnership allows us to do," Ibert said. "When agencies combine resources and intelligence, we're better equipped to identify the people responsible for bringing fentanyl into our communities, hold them accountable, and help prevent future overdose deaths."
The partnership has the support of prosecutors and federal law enforcement leaders, who say it will strengthen efforts to investigate overdose deaths and bring those responsible to justice.
“The addition of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office to the DEA Fentanyl Overdose Response Team further strengthens the collaborative network of law enforcement and prosecutors committed to combating the fentanyl crisis,” District Attorney Collin Sims said. “Working together, we can build stronger cases, share critical intelligence, and ensure those who distribute this deadly drug are held accountable under Louisiana law. Our office remains committed to seeking justice for victims and their families while doing everything we can to prevent future overdose deaths.”
“By welcoming the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office to the Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), we are tearing down jurisdictional walls to share real-time intelligence and target the drug trafficking organizations driving this epidemic,” added DEA Special Agent in Charge John P. Scott, of the New Orleans Field Division. “We are fully committed to working alongside Sheriff Ibert and his team to investigate these poisonings as homicides and bring justice to the families devastated by these crimes."
Ibert stressed that the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office has zero tolerance for anyone who sells fentanyl in our community.
"If you're dealing fentanyl in St. Tammany Parish, we're going to do everything we can to find you and hold you accountable," he said. "If your actions cost someone their life, we're going to pursue every legal avenue available, including second-degree murder charges when the law allows. There is no place for fentanyl in St. Tammany Parish.”
