Florida Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Role in Multi-State Cocaine Trafficking; Lafayette Storage Facility Used as Stash Location

LAFAYETTE - On September 29, 2026, United States District Judge David C. Joseph sentenced Anthony Smith, 54, of Pensacola, Florida, to 72 months in federal prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances after his July 1, 2026, guilty plea.

According to court records, federal agents began investigating a Louisiana-based drug trafficking network in May of 2023. Agents identified a primary supplier and several associates who were using a storage facility in Lafayette to stash their illicit drug supply. Investigators monitored the organization and intercepted communications revealing that narcotics were being prepared for distribution to members of the network, including Smith.

On November 29, 2023, agents observed a member of the network retrieve drugs from the storage facility and transport them to two other co-conspirators. Those associates then traveled to a gas station, at which time Smith arrived in his vehicle, putting him squarely in the center of the distribution scheme. Agents then witnessed one associate place a bag containing a shoebox into Smith's vehicle, before the group dispersed. Later, Smith was stopped by law enforcement, and a search of his vehicle revealed two kilograms of cocaine concealed inside the shoebox. Smith admitted that he had traveled from Florida for the purpose of obtaining and transporting narcotics in furtherance of the conspiracy. He also acknowledged that he had knowingly joined the drug trafficking network and fully understood its illegal purpose.

The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Harris County Sheriff's Office (Mississippi) investigated this case. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Vermaelen and Casey N. Stelly, with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.

This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice's nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys' offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department's commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump's Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities. Learn more at www.justice.gov/psn.

You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 23-CR-00291.

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