TROOPERS UPHOLD WAR ON DRUG TRAFFICKERS

With thousands of vehicles traveling the interstates in Shreveport and
Bossier City each day, state troopers like Sgt. Don Campbell never know
when the truck they see bumping the yellow line is simply a sleepy driver
or the key to bringing down a major drug cartel.

During the 15 years Campbell has been involved with the state police's drug
interdiction unit, he's helped take millions of dollars worth of illegal
drugs off the streets and put hundreds of drug traffickers behind bars.

"That's been my goal since I've been with the Louisiana state police," he
said. "To take as many drugs and put as many criminals in jail as possible."

With Louisiana's portions of Interstates 10 and 20 listed by the National
Drug Intelligence Center as key corridors drug distributors use to
transport cocaine from the Southwest Border area to other markets, state
troopers play a crucial role in decreasing illegal drug activity.

While most of the cocaine transported into Louisiana isn't intended to be
sold here,

Shreveport is an important transshipment point for various forms of the
drug. Both I-20 and I-49 allow drug traffickers to travel between northern
Louisiana and known drug source cities, such as Los Angeles and Dallas,
according to the center.

As part of their role in cracking down on the growing drug industry,
troopers sometimes make controlled deliveries where they accompany an
arrested drug trafficker to his delivery destination, said Trooper Doug
Pierrelee, Troop G spokesman.

"What we like to do is find out where the drugs came from and where they're
going," he said. "(As a result,) I think the criminals would definitely say
we put a dent in their future, and every little bit helps."

In 1999, Campbell stopped an 18-wheeler for a traffic violation. An
investigation resulted in the discovery of more than 17,000 pounds of
marijuana packed carefully in the top of the trailer.

"That was in 1999, and to this day there are still arrests and indictments
being made," he said. "One stop here can lead to multi-million dollar
seizures and result in 20 or so arrests and indictments."

If a routine traffic stop results in a trooper finding drugs and making an
arrest, Campbell said they often decide to make a controlled delivery if
the trafficker decides to help and they get the go-ahead from federal
authorities.

"As for as the Louisiana state police, the only way we will do a controlled
delivery is when the (Drug Enforcement Administration) or (U.S. Customs)
agree to take it," Campbell said. "The only time we can't make an effort to
make a delivery is when (the trafficker) is arrested and they want an
attorney and don't want to cooperate."

Because the individuals expecting the drugs constantly check their
supplier's progress, troopers have a limited amount of time to research and
plan before making the delivery.

"If everything pans out, we get phone conversations between the two bad
guys before we go... then you take the narcotics, the vehicle, the agents
and (the criminal)," Campbell said. "The (drug dealers) all have cell
phones and they are constantly calling to check in. They know when (their
supplier) left and how long it takes for them to get from Point A to Point
B ... so the time frame is important."

But before they can make a controlled delivery, troopers must make an
arrest. After patrolling the interstates for years, members of the drug
interdiction team constantly undergo training to help them hone the skills
they need to thwart drug traffickers.

"It's a tough job," Campbell said. "It's not a simple job to do with the
way they hide drugs today. It takes a lot of work and a lot of equipment.
You can't look at a car and know that that vehicle is hauling dope."

And in his more than 20 years with the state police, Campbell said he's
seen exactly how creative drug traffickers can be.

"I've arrested 70-year-old grandmas," he said. "I've even made an arrest
where one guy went as far as renting a family. The man rented a mom and two
kids and pretended to be a family on vacation."

But nothing tops the stop a trooper made one Christmas season, Pierrelee said.

"He was dressed up as Santa Claus in a Winnebago filled with Christmas
gifts," he said. "The marijuana was wrapped up as the Christmas gifts."

Because the troopers want to ensure every drug arrest results in jail time,
the trooper's actions cannot be questioned, Pierrelee said.

"These guys have to go to court all the time and the only thing they have
to stand behind is that they have played by the rules every time," he said.

That unyielding mind-set sometimes results in troopers watching helplessly
as drugs continue on its way when there is no legal reason to search a
vehicle, Campbell said.

"I've made traffic stops and put loads of dope on the shoulder and had to
watch it drive off," Campbell said. "But you have to follow the letter of
the law. There is no exception."

And Campbell said he never forgets the ones who manage to slip by him.

"I can remember every single one of then," he said. "One of them happened
six or seven years ago and I still remember the stop, what he looked like,
his vehicle. I know he had a load of dope in the trunk but he didn't have a
key to the back and he wouldn't allow me to go in through the back seat. I
know there was a load of dope in there, either that or a body."

Although he and other troopers make drug arrests almost weekly, Campbell
said he knows the daunting reality of the amount of drugs traveling the
interstates.

"We don't even scratch the surface," he said. "The drugs out there on that
highway. They were out there long before I was here and they'll still be
out there long after I'm gone."

But until he is, Campbell and the other members of Troop G said they will
continue to take pride in every ounce of illegal drugs taken and each
criminal put behind bars, he said.

"It's very satisfying when you take dope off the streets and know it's not
going to end up in a school yard," Campbell said. " I enjoy (my job).
Anytime I can beat them at their own game, I feel like I've accomplished
something."