BATON ROUGE — Five people were arrested Wednesday night during a drug bust involving cocaine, prescription medications, and ecstasy, according to Baton Rouge Police.
Investigators reported that two properties were searched on August 21—one in the 2600 block of 68th Street and the other in the 2800 block of 68th Street, located in an area north of Airline Highway between Scenic Highway and I-110.
The Baton Rouge Police Special Investigation Division, including the Narcotics, CGIC, and SI Uniform units, conducted the investigation in collaboration with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office Special Weapons and Tactics team.
During the search, officers discovered 4.9 grams of crack cocaine, 137.6 grams of marijuana, 40 dosage units of MDMA, and prescription medications such as Tramadol, Valium, Adderall, Alprazolam, and Promethazine. Guns were also found on the premises.
BRPD said the following were arrested:
Cornell Brown, 23
- Possession of a Legend Drug without a prescription
- Simple Possession of Marijuana
- Illegal Carrying of a weapon with a controlled dangerous substance
- Distribution of Sch II Drugs
Reco Andrews, 47
- Battery of a Dating Partner/Child Endangerment
- Aggravated Second Degree Battery
Steven McCray, 25
- Distribution of Sch I
- Distribution of Sch II
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Michael McCray, 45
- Distribution of Sch I
- Distribution of Sch II
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
- Fugitive from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office
Marquis Payne, 21 Added on charges from the investigation
- Possession of a Machine Gun
- Distribution of Sch II
- Distribution of Sch I
- Possession of a Legend Drug without a prescription
- Illegal Possession of a stolen firearm
- Illegal Carrying of a firearm with a controlled dangerous substance
- Criminal Street Gangs
The five drug arrests follows a string of drug busts made by Baton Rouge Police in the past few weeks. On August 19, BRPD made one of the largest fentanyl seizures in the U.S. Nearly 84 kilos, or 181 pounds, of fentanyl were confiscated from a home on Vermillion Drive in Baton Rouge.
“One kilo of Fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people. So, this seizure has the potential to save 42 million lives by being taken off the streets,” said BRPD’s Deputy Chief Chris McClure. That amount is more than eight times the population of Louisiana and equivalent to the combined populations of the 30 most populous cities in the U.S.
UWK has learned that the original investigation began after detectives intercepted a package in early August 2024. Following the interception, BRPD’s Special Investigations Unit obtained search warrants and executed them at three different locations.
MORE: BRPD makes one of the largest drug busts with nearly $1 million in fentanyl & 150 lbs. of meth
Around 6 p.m. on Aug. 14, 2024, multiple BRPD divisions went to the 9000 block of Keaty Dr., which led to subsequent searches warrants executed at additional address like the 3500 block of Adams Ave. & the 16400 Vermillion Dr.
Nearly 4.5 pounds (2.1 kilograms) of fentanyl was seized as well as 150 pounds of methamphetamine. Several guns were also found during the searches. The fentanyl alone is nearly a million dollars worth of drugs.
BRPD Chief Thomas S. Morse Jr. explained, “Special Investigation Division is a unit that I formed several months ago. Since their inception, has done a lot of great work with assisting our Violent Crime Unit (VCU) including working with the district attorneys office to get indictments on some gang activity charges earlier this year.”
BRPD reports that one ounce of fentanyl in the Baton Rouge metro area is valued at approximately $1,500 to $2,000. Based on that rate, the 84 kilos confiscated have an estimated street value of $4.5 million.
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