PORT BARRE, La. (KLFY) -- Seven suspected drug dealers were arrested Monday morning in a roundup by the Port Barre Police Department, the culmination of a three-month-long investigation.

News 10 was allowed exclusively to ride along with officers as they swept the town, making arrests.

"Make sure you have all full armor. We have our regular vests with our level threes on top of that," Port Barre Police Chief Deon Boudreaux told his officer. "We had an officer killed in Lafayette recently. I think safety is our number one priority this morning."

For the officers, the day started early at 4:45 a.m. with the safety meeting.

"There is one on the list that is of concern that does carry a gun, has been known to be involved in shootings," Boudreaux said.

"Those on the perimeter, Opelousas Police Department, marshal's office, anyone else assisting us, you don't have to get your hands dirty. You stay outside. You secure the perimeter," he added.

The officers split up into two teams then they hit the streets.

"Right now, we're going with Team A. They're going to Highway 103 South. There's a guy there that's been selling a lot of meth, but we have information now that he's upped his game some. We consider him a low-level dealer, but he's trying to step up. We're going to put a stop to that this morning," Boudreaux told News 10 as we rode along.

"This is very dangerous. If you see what we're wearing, we're wearing pretty heavy armor because we don't know what these people have in their homes, what kind of weapons they have, the mindset. No one wants to go to jail," he added.

The suspected drug dealers arrested Monday were wanted for selling everything from meth to fentanyl to crack cocaine in their small town. Boudreaux says it's an epidemic.

"The more frequent that we do this, the better chance we have of these drug dealers giving up," he said. "Whether they're big-time drug dealers or small time, we can't allow that to happen."

He hopes stings like this one clean up the neighborhoods and send a message to dealers.

"We want to shake them up," Boudreaux said. "We want these drugs dealers to know that at any moment, any moment at any time of year, they're going to be woke up at five o'clock in the morning and dragged away to jail.

"We don't want our drug dealers to think they can just sell drugs freely, and the cops are going to turn and look the other way. It's not going to happen here."

In a news release Monday, Port Barre police said 11 people total were arrested over the weekend and early Monday morning as part of the months-long investigation:

• Bryan Keith Rutledge, 64, of Port Barre, was charged with two counts of distribution of schedule II controlled dangerous substances
• Ernest Mason, 55, of Port Barre, was charged with two counts of distribution of schedule II CDS
• Lauren Leger, 24, of Port Barre, was charged with two counts of distribution of schedule II CDS
• Joseph Buck, 64, of Port Barre, was charged with distribution of schedule II CDS
• Gavin Ray Wells, 21, of Port Barre, was charged with distribution of schedule II CDS
• Thomas Jacob Young, 42, of Port Barre, was charged with distribution of schedule II CDS, introducing contraband into a penal institution and possession of schedule III CDS
• Brad Wayne Guidry, 46, of Port Barre, was charged with two counts of distribution of schedule II CDS
• Christina Hazel Bradshaw, 46, of Port Barre, was charged with two counts of distribution of schedule II CDS
• Alana Stelly Gilley, 64, of Port Barre, was charged with two counts of distribution of schedule II CDS
• Derrick Bellard, 32, of Port Barre, was charged with two counts of distribution of schedule II CDS
• Jamie Charrier, 39, of Port Barre, was charged with possession of schedule II CDS, possession of schedule IV CDS, possession of schedule I CDS, possession of CDS in the presence of a person under the age of 17, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of illegal narcotics in a drug free zone.

Port Barre police said in the news released that, with the exception of one person named in the list above, all suspects are accused of selling drugs locally.

Police said although the suspects are not "major drug dealers," they are allegedly "selling drugs, such as fentanyl, crack cocaine and methamphetamine on the streets of our community."

Police continue to search for Brock Valin, 21, of Port Barre. Authorities said Valin has an active warrant for two counts of distribution of schedule II CDS.

Anyone with information on Valin's whereabouts is asked to contact the Port Barre Police Department at 337-585-6212.

Latest news