Greetings all,
I am pleased to welcome you to the New Orleans Operation Engage website. My name is Steven L. Hofer, and I serve as the Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Division.
Our community faces a serious challenge with the rising incidence of fatal and nonfatal drug poisonings. Recognizing this critical issue, the DEA has committed to engaging with communities at a grassroots level to mitigate these incidents through targeted education and increased awareness.
Operation Engage is our strategic initiative focused on addressing the predominant drug threats in our region, specifically fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Key components of Operation Engage include:
1. Community and Stakeholder Meetings: These gatherings are essential for sharing vital information about drug trends, emerging threats, and other significant developments.
2. DEA Citizens’ Academy: This program underscores the importance of forging robust partnerships with community leaders and enhancing cooperation with local entities. Participants will receive comprehensive insights into the operations of federal drug law enforcement, fostering a better understanding of our collaborative efforts to tackle drug trafficking, abuse, and associated violence.
3. Youth Engagement: Through partnerships with organizations like CADCA and initiatives such as the DEA Educational Foundation Youth Dance Program, we offer engaging and educational activities for youth. These programs are designed to provide accurate and age-appropriate drug awareness in an engaging manner.
4. Community Outreach Programs: Our division is implementing a diverse array of prevention strategies. These include coalition outreach, prescription drug take-back initiatives, and offering technical assistance and guidance to community groups.
We are eager to share the numerous resources and opportunities available through our office with the community. I encourage you, along with your families, to review our Operation Engage webpage and explore the extensive resources we offer. Early education about drug experimentation, misuse, addiction, and related behaviors is crucial for empowering families to prevent these issues.
Sincerely at your service,
Steven L. Hofer
Special Agent in Charge
New Orleans Division
Top Local Drug Threat
Local officials have identified the synthetic opioid fentanyl as the area's top local drug threat, followed by the stimulant methamphetamine (meth).
Here are a few quick stats:
-
Drug-involved deaths in Louisiana for the year of 2021 was 2,711. (Source: Louisiana Opioid Data and Surveillance System)
-
1,177 synthetic opioid poisoning deaths in 2021 in Louisiana, up from 708 in 2020 and 307 in 2019. (Source: Louisiana Opioid Data and Surveillance System)
-
927 stimulant-involved deaths in 2021 in Louisiana, up from 621 in 2020 and 372 in 2019. (Source: Louisiana Opioid Data and Surveillance System)
-
As of October 2021, homicide rates have increased 8.7% (105 deaths) from 2020 (Source: DEA Violent Crime and Overdose Reduction Strategy Threat Assessment 2021)
-
The city of New Orleans has supplementary incidents that further demonstrate the permeation of fentanyl such as: 1,159 drug violations, 4,046 violent crimes, 169 homicides, 125 fatal shootings, 630 nonfatal shootings, 261 car jackings, 377 armed robberies, 353 suspected fatal overdoses and 2,502 nonfatal overdoses. (Sources: NOFD 2020-2021 CAD Data; NOPD/OPSD Homicide Tracker; HIDTA OD MAP)
Emerging Drug Threat
There have also been a growing number of overdose deaths linked to Xylazine, (commonly referred to as "tranq"). This reported adulterant has been detected in an increasing number of illicit drug mixtures. Typically, it appears in mixtures containing fentanyl, but it has also been found in cocaine, heroin, and other drugs.
Xylazine has been reported in scientific and medical journals to cause depression of the central nervous system along with other adverse effects. Xylazine may be present in more illicit drug combinations than reported. Many jurisdictions do not toxicologically test for Xylazine, therefore there may be more unrecorded fatal overdoses.
Only a small amount of research has been done on xylazine, but uncorroborated reports have suggested it has similar effects to opioids.
Learn more about local drug use statistics:
Louisiana: Opioid-Involved Deaths and Related Harms
National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics, Opioid Epidemic: Addiction Statistics
Drug Information
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a semi-synthetic opioid. It is 50-300 times more potent than morphine. Other semi-synthetic opioids such as morphine, codeine, and heroin are made with natural opium involved in synthesis. There are many analogs available and classified under the term “fentanyls”. One analog, carfentanil, is up to 10,000 times more potent than morphine.
Learn more about fentanyl by visiting the Fentanyl Fact Sheet or NIDA.
What is Methamphetamine?
Methamphetamine (also known as meth) is a stimulant that speeds up the body’s system that comes as a pill or powder. Available in prescription as Desoxyn® to treat obesity and ADHD. Crystal meth resembles glass fragments and is an illegally altered version of the prescription drug that is cooked with over-the-counter drugs in meth labs.
Learn more about meth by visiting the Meth Fact Sheet or NIDA.
One Pill Can Kill
The Drug Enforcement Administration warns the American public of the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. International and domestic criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills, falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills, and killing unsuspecting Americans.
These fake pills are easy to purchase, widely available, and often contain deadly doses of fentanyl. Pills purchased outside of a licensed pharmacy are illegal, dangerous, and potentially lethal. This alert does not apply to legitimate pharmaceutical medications prescribed by medical professionals and dispensed by pharmacists. Read more.
See Related: Check out the Fake Pills Fact Sheet.
Events
Date: January 15 and 17, 2025
Time: 10:30am - 1:30pm
Where: City Park - LOOP NOLA, 1031 Harrison Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70124
Operation Engage New Orleans will be hosting a day of fishing and drug prevention education. For details, connect with Community Outreach Specialist Dr. Leslie Faulkner at 571-362-4737 or Leslie.M.Faulkner@dea.gov.
Resources
Check back soon for resources specific to Alabama.
Check back soon for resources specific to Arkansas.
Check out this list of community substance misuse prevention resources.
Looking for prevention resources specifically for young people? Go to the teen-focused site www.justthinktwice.com/. Here, they'll be able to get facts about drug use and learn ways to live a drug-free life.
In addition, check out these resources below:
Here is a list of our community partners. Click on the links below to learn more about each.
- Baton Rouge Police Department
- The Benevolent Order of the Elks
- Capital Area Human Services
- The Gardere Initiative
- I Care Education Prevention Advocacy
- Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office
- Jefferson Parish Human Services Authority (JPHSA)
- Jefferson Parish School Board
- Louisiana Board of Pharmacy
- Louisiana Department of Education
- Louisiana Department of Health
- New Orleans City Council
- New Orleans Coroner's Office
- New Orleans Health Department
- New Orleans Police Department
- New Orleans Public Schools
- New Orleans Recreation Department
- Office of the Mayor of New Orleans
- Orleans Parish School Board
- Orleans Parish Sheriff's Department
- St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office
- State of Louisiana
- U.S. Attorney's Office of the Middle District
Go to FindTreatment.gov to search for general drug treatment facilities in your area. On this site, you can find facilities that offer various payment options (including free and no-cost care), youth treatment facilities, special programs for Veterans, plus more.
Otherwise, enter your zipcode below to find substance abuse treatment facilities in your area.
To find local drug or alcohol treatment services, visit ATLAS
(Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform)