08 January 2025 , 15:12
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A drug trafficking investigation in Bogalusa, Louisiana, has led to the arrest of the city’s mayor, Tyrin Truong, and several other people, police said Tuesday.
The Louisiana State Police Narcotics/Violent Crime Task Force began a "comprehensive investigation" into a drug trafficking organization operating in the area in April 2024. Louisiana saw 2,456 drug-involved deaths in 2023, according to state health officials.
The joint task force operation found the organization was distributing various drugs, including opioids, high-grade marijuana, THC products and MDMA. The operation was using social media to distribute drugs and manage payments, officials said. The profits from the drug sales were used to purchase firearms, officials said, and some of those firearms were then funneled to individuals who have been banned from owning them. Some firearms have been linked to violent crimes in the area, police said.
The investigation resulted in the issuance of seven arrest warrants, including for Truong, 25. Truong, who became the city’s youngest mayor after he surprisingly defeated incumbent mayor Wendy Perrette in 2022, is facing charges of transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses, unauthorized use of a moveable and soliciting for prostitutes.
The other six people all face charges of transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses. Three of them face charges of conspiracy to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance. Another faces an additional charge of distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance.
Police said all seven will be booked into the Washington Parish Jail. Truong was booked into the jail on Tuesday afternoon, according to online records.
Further information about the case will be released by Louisiana State Police, the agency said, noting that "a variety of other matters and individuals remain under investigation in connection with matters both separate from and related to the subject matter of today’s arrests."
"We are going to continue to invest time and resources into helping the citizens of Bogalusa," District Attorney Collin Sims said in a statement. "We are not finished."