Pensacola Man Sentenced in Lafayette-Linked Cocaine Case

LAFAYETTE, La. — Anthony Smith, 54, of Pensacola, Florida, will spend six years in federal prison for his role in a Louisiana-based drug trafficking network that used a storage facility in Lafayette to stash its supply. The 72-month sentence follows a federal investigation that began in May 2023.

United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced Smith on Tuesday, Sept. 29, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Smith pleaded guilty on July 1, 2026. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana announced the sentence Thursday.

Get our free mobile app

How the Lafayette Storage Facility Investigation Began

Federal agents started investigating a Louisiana-based drug trafficking network in May 2023. They identified a primary supplier and several associates who were using a storage facility in Lafayette to hold their drug supply.

Investigators monitored the group and intercepted communications showing that narcotics were being prepared for distribution to members of the network, including Smith.

What Agents Saw on Nov. 29, 2023

On Nov. 29, 2023, agents watched a member of the network retrieve drugs from the Lafayette storage facility and transport them to two other co-conspirators. Those two associates then traveled to a gas station, where Smith arrived in his vehicle.

Agents saw one of the associates place a bag containing a shoebox into Smith’s vehicle before the group dispersed. Law enforcement later stopped Smith. A search of his vehicle turned up two kilograms of cocaine, roughly 4.4 pounds, concealed inside the shoebox.

Smith Admitted He Traveled From Florida for the Drugs

Smith admitted that he traveled from Florida to obtain and transport narcotics in furtherance of the conspiracy. He also acknowledged that he knowingly joined the drug trafficking network and understood its illegal purpose.

A conspiracy charge applies to a person who knowingly joins an agreement to break the drug laws, even without running the whole operation.

Who Investigated and Prosecuted the Case

The Drug Enforcement Administration and a Mississippi sheriff’s office investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Vermaelen and Casey N. Stelly prosecuted the case, with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.

Prosecutors handled the case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative that brings federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement and prosecutors together to combat violent crime.

Other Recent Federal Cocaine Cases Tied to Lafayette

Two other recent federal cases involve different defendants and facts. In July 2026, Judge Joseph sentenced Jeremy Black, 52, of Lafayette, to 84 months in federal prison after a March 2025 traffic stop on Interstate 10 turned up two kilogram-sized bundles of cocaine.

In March 2026, federal prosecutors announced charges in another Lafayette case involving approximately 100 kilograms of cocaine found in a hidden compartment inside an 18-wheeler cab.

You May Also Like...