NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)), published as received.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LUIS MORALES (“MORALES”), age 36, was sentenced on August 13, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to 66 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $300 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to three counts of distributing more than five grams of actual methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, in August of 2023, MORALES sold methamphetamine to individuals he believed to be legitimate buyers on three separate occasions. In total, MORALES distributed more than 120 grams of methamphetamine that was between 96%-99% pure. MORALES also sold to the individuals he believed to be legitimate buyers, a firearm.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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