Operation ‘Summer Heat – I’ Yields 81 Arrests, Guns and Drugs Seized in Central Louisiana Crackdown

RAPIDES PARISH, La. (WNTZ) — A four-day multi-agency operation led by the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) Unit resulted in 81 arrests across Rapides and Grant parishes, along with the seizure of drugs, firearms, and nearly $70,000 in cash, authorities announced Monday.

Dubbed Operation: Summer Heat – I, the enforcement sweep took place July 15–18 and targeted areas with long-standing narcotics complaints. The operation involved coordinated efforts from the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office (RPSO) Uniform Patrol, Resident Deputy Section, Crime Suppression Unit, the Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office Uniform Patrol Division, and the Louisiana Department of Probation and Parole.

Search and arrest warrants, along with traffic stops, were carried out in more than a dozen communities, including Cotile Lake, Boyce, Glenmora, Alexandria, Pineville, Lecompte, and Colfax.

According to RPSO, the results of the operation included:

• 81 arrests
• 7 traffic citations issued
• 1 detainment assisted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• 27 firearms seized, including 4 stolen guns
• 13 pounds of marijuana
• 2 pounds of methamphetamine
• 12 grams of crack cocaine
• 30 Schedule II–III pills
• 3.5 grams of mushrooms
• 5 sheets of K-2 infused synthetic marijuana
• $69,145 in cash seized

“We know the public and our media partners had a lot of questions last week when they saw our deputies in different areas conducting operations. This is what we were doing,” said Rapides Parish Sheriff Mark Wood. “We do not publicize or do releases until the end due to the fact this could jeopardize ongoing enforcement operations.”

Wood emphasized that many of the arrests were made in response to tips and complaints submitted by local residents over the past six months.

“These arrests with the gun and drug seizures are a direct result of the citizens and their complaints,” Wood said. “As I have said many times before, just point us in the right direction and we will go from there.”

Residents can report suspected drug activity by submitting tips through the RPSO or Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office mobile apps, or by messaging the RADE Unit directly on Facebook at facebook.com/RADEunit.

The RADE Unit is a multi-jurisdictional task force made up of law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies from across Central Louisiana. It remains focused on identifying and disrupting narcotics trafficking and gun-related crimes throughout the region.