A New Orleans man has pleaded guilty to federal drug charges related to the distribution of large quantities of cocaine. Yaidel Placido Salvador, 39, admitted in court on January 7, 2026, to conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. The plea was entered before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.
U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced the charges and detailed that Salvador faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in prison for each count, with a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment. He could also be fined up to $10 million and will be subject to at least five years of supervised release along with a mandatory special assessment fee totaling $200.
According to court documents, Salvador worked with other individuals to distribute multi-kilogram amounts of cocaine within the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative created by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF brings together agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Their goal is "eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad." According to officials: "Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders." The task force emphasizes targeting crimes involving children as well as removing violent criminal aliens from the country.
The DEA’s New Orleans Field Division Office led the investigation into this case. Other agencies assisting included the FBI; U.S. Border Patrol; Gretna Major Crimes Task Force; Kenner Police Department; Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office; St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office; and Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman from the Narcotics Unit is handling prosecution duties.
