FBI Takes Down Cartel Operation in New Orleans With Ties to Houston, Texas

NEW ORLEANS, La. (KPEL News) — Federal agents arrested six individuals in New Orleans on April 10, including an El Salvadoran national with alleged ties to the violent Gulf Cartel, a major Mexican drug trafficking organization. The coordinated takedown is part of an ongoing FBI investigation into narcotics being trafficked from Houston to Louisiana.

According to the FBI New Orleans Field Office, the operation involved multiple law enforcement agencies executing high-risk search warrants at multiple locations across the city, including North Tonti Street, Mandeville Street, and Franklin Avenue.

Houston-to-New Orleans Fentanyl Pipeline

The FBI said intelligence gathered in the investigation confirms the Gulf Cartel’s involvement in moving fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin into Louisiana through Houston. Three of the six individuals arrested are now being held on immigration detainers. The remaining three face state-level charges from the New Orleans Police Department.

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The operation included assistance from Louisiana State Police, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, Customs and Border Protection, and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), with K-9 units also participating.

The FBI says the investigation is ongoing and declined to provide further comment at this time.

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