District Attorney Collin Sims announced today that a unified, multi-agency effort between the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and local law enforcement has produced historic reductions in fentanyl-related overdose deaths across the Northshore.
Over the past two years, the multi-agency “Trifecta” model – uniting federal, state, and local resources – has delivered unprecedented results:
• St. Tammany Parish: 70% reduction in fentanyl overdose deaths.
• Washington Parish: 58.5% reduction in fentanyl overdose deaths.
• Tangipahoa Parish: 45.3% reduction in fentanyl overdose deaths.
“These numbers represent lives saved – sons, daughters, parents, and friends,” said District Attorney Collin Sims. “This is what happens when agencies remove silos, share intelligence, and focus relentlessly on stopping the supply chain that is killing our community. We are proud to stand with the DEA and our law enforcement partners to protect our citizens from this poison.”
A Partnership Model That Works
The Trifecta strategy is built on three pillars that directly support public safety in the 22nd Judicial District:
- Transnational Disruption: Targeting the command, control, and financial networks of major drug-trafficking cartels responsible for supplying fentanyl to the region.
- Unbreakable Local Partnerships: Combining DEA, Sheriff’s Offices, Police Departments, the Coroner’s Offices, and the DA’s Office into a unified Fentanyl Overdose Response Team for rapid response and intelligence sharing.
- Local Accountability – Including Murder Charges and Life Sentences: The 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office continues to aggressively pursue second-degree murder charges – which carry mandatory life sentences – against traffickers whose distribution results in death. “If you deal the drug that kills someone in our district, we will seek the highest charges available under Louisiana law,” said DA Sims. “Accountability saves lives, and dealers will be held fully responsible for the devastation they cause.”
Remembering the Lives Lost
At today’s announcement, two families – those of Nicholas Platt and Jacob Massi – shared emotional testimony about the loved ones they lost to fentanyl poisoning.
“We owe it to families like these to continue this fight,” DA Sims said. “Their courage strengthens our commitment to holding dealers accountable and preventing future tragedies.”
The public is encouraged to learn more about fentanyl dangers and prevention resources at dea.gov/fentanylfree.
The following agencies participate in the 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office Opioid Prevention & Awareness (OPA) Initiative: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – including the Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), United States Attorney’s Office, Louisiana State Police – Region I Violent Crimes/Narcotics Division, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office, 22nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff’s Office, Slidell Police Department – Narcotics and Violent Crimes Division, Covington Police Department, Pearl River Police Department, Bogalusa Police Department, Hammond Police Department, Mandeville Police Department, and Fire District No. 1.