Sheriff Commends Trained Unit for Seizing Over 70 Pounds of Meth on I-10

Jefferson County —

More than 70 pounds of meth and other drugs were seized by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office during two recent drug busts that began with traffic stops on Interstate 10.

Zena Stephens, the Jefferson County Sheriff, claims that her department’s Drug Interdiction Unit has received intensive training in order to recognize suspicious behavior during a traffic stop and to gather information that may result in searches and the seizure of drugs.

Sheriff Stephens stated, “It’s difficult to put a number on the value we have in saving lives, but I can guarantee you that it saved some.”

During a traffic stop last Thursday, the JCSO Drug Interdiction Unit found one pound of fentanyl and eleven pounds of meth. Kory Schaffer, age 32, and Darell Coleman, age 35, were taken into custody by deputies from New Orleans.

A week prior, after another car stop, they found over 65 pounds of meth.

“Whether they were members of our family or our neighborhood, we all know of people who have lost their lives to fentanyl. Sheriff Stephens stated, “Anytime we can get this kind of stuff off the streets, it makes me happy. We know kids who went to high school here who have died.”

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According to the sheriff, traffickers prefer I-10 since it’s a busy route used by travelers going from the east to the west and back.

Sheriff Stephens declared, “It’s a major drug pipeline going from the east coast to the west coast.” “For every couple of cars that we stop and we catch, I can assure you there are a thousand more that are getting through that are filled with drugs and drug money.”

Sheriff Stephens explains that her department strategically places deputies with years of experience in narcotics interdiction on the road for this reason. She refers to it as art.

“You can’t profile and so you have to look for traffic violations,” Stephens added. “It is important to be able to recognize individuals after you stop them on a good probable cause stop for traffic or whatever violation, to build on that probable cause to be able to search vehicles and get in those vehicles and find drugs.”

The sheriff’s office is able to prevent drugs from being on the roadways and apprehend traffickers in their tracks because to these traffic stops.

“I tell individuals to go in a different direction. “Avoid passing through Jefferson County,” Sheriff Stephens commanded. “Because we will put you in jail if you do that and we find you, stop you, and you have any of the stuff we discussed.”

Sheriff Stephens claims that although the deputies’ searches are thorough, there is a greater chance of removing more drugs from the roads and streets when they identify and stop more traffic infractions.