RAPIDES PARISH, La. (WNTZ) – Over the last year, the Rapides Area Drug Enforcement (RADE) Unit has seized record amounts of drugs, guns and cash in their mission of working together and arresting drug dealers, not just people with addictions. And from those cash  seizures, equipment was purchased to go back into the fight for those partner agencies.  

Today, Sheriff Mark Wood, Grant Sheriff Steven McCain, Rapides Parish District Attorney Phillip Terrell and Grant Parish District Attorney Jay Lemoine held a joint press conference this morning to present some of the RADE participating agencies equipment purchased through the asset forfeiture program headed by the Grant and Rapides District Attorney’s Office. 

Those receiving equipment were Ball Police Department, Boyce Police Department, Cheneyville Police Department, Town of Glenmora Police Department, Forest Hill Police Department, Lecompte Police Department, McNary Police Department, Woodworth Police Department and Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office. 

Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office Alexandria Police Department and the  Pineville Police Department opted out of this first round of disbursements. 

Seizures for October 2022-September 2023 are as follows:

Arrests: 466

Marijuana: 334.41 lbs

Synthetic: 74.1 gms

THC: 2 lbs

Methamphetamine: 54.03 lbs

Suboxone: 251 strips

Cocaine: 107.33 lbs

Fentanyl: 216.6 gms

Heroin: 3.0 gms

Xanax: 1183 pills

Ecstasy: 931 pills

Psychedelics: 553 pills

Hydro/ Oxy: 275 pills

Promethazine: 11,549 ml

Misc. Pills: 1745 pills

Money: $614,671.90

Guns: 141

Vehicles: 12

From its beginning, RADE has seized the following:

TOTALS: Updated 9-11-23

Arrests: 2080

Marijuana: 744.2 lbs

Synthetic: 15.5 lbs

THC: 12 lbs

Methamphetamine: 78 lbs

Suboxone: 569 strips

Cocaine: 110 lbs

Fentanyl: 17 lbs

Heroin: 3 lbs

Xanax: 2462 pills

Esctasy: 5381 pills

Hydro/Oxy: 1234 pills

Promethazine: 18290 ml- 4 gallons

Misc Pills: 7850 pills

Money: $1,472,091.72

Guns: 526

Vehicles: 64

“The RADE Unit is committed to fighting the scourge of drugs in our community and will continue to target narcotics trafficking in Central Louisiana” said Sheriff Mark Wood. 

If anyone has any information they would like to pass on to the RADE Unit, they are asked to contact us through Facebook at Rapides Area Drug Enforcement Unit, http://rade.rpso.org or by calling 318-445-0357. 

We would like to thank our media partners who attended the press conference this morning.