New Drug Initiative & Joint Operation Leads to Arrests, Seizures of Narcotics & Firearms

Three subjects were arrested Thursday afternoon (August 22, 2024) as a result of a joint investigation into regional drug trafficking. The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Slidell Police Department, New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation (F.B.I.), and the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office under a new drug initiative implemented by the 22nd Judicial District Attorney, Collin Sims. 

The newly implemented drug initiative encompasses the partnership of local, state, and federal law enforcement organizations to collectively identify and arrest drug traffickers across the southern portions of Louisiana. 

The investigation was initiated by the Slidell Police Department’s Narcotics Division after detectives identified Slidell resident, 41-year-old Joseph Lee, as a regional drug trafficker. An arrest warrant was obtained for Joseph Lee in relation to the distribution of a Schedule II Controlled Dangerous Substance and a search warrant was also obtained for one of Lee’s New Orleans East residences. 

On Thursday (August 22, 2024), Joseph Lee was located and arrested on the warrant. The search
warrant for Lee’s New Orleans East residence was executed, which led to the discovery of 3.3 pounds of Crystal Methamphetamine, 11 grams of Fentanyl, 36 grams of Crack Cocaine, 24 grams of Marijuana, 30 Suboxone Sublingual Films, 25 Tramadol tablets, 21 Oxycodone tablets, and one .45 caliber handgun.

Joseph Lee was found to be a convicted felon with prior convictions for Armed Robbery and illegal drug possession.

Joseph Lee was also identified to be affiliated with a local Slidell area barber shop, and an additional search warrant was executed at that location. During the search of the barber shop, pressed fentanyl pills and a semi-automatic shotgun were located. 

Two additional subjects, both Slidell residents, were taken into custody at the barber shop. One was arrested on the felony charge of felon in possession of a firearm, and the second was arrested for several active warrants. 

As a result of this investigation, Joseph Lee was booked into the Slidell City Jail as a fugitive and will be extradited to Orleans Parish to face charges of Illegal Carrying of a Firearm, Felon in Possession of a firearm, and numerous narcotics offenses. 

22nd Judicial District Attorney Collin Sims said: “𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘢𝘸 𝘦𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘨 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘤. 𝘞𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.”

Slidell Police Chief Randy Fandal also commented, saying: “𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘦𝘢𝘱𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘶𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦.”