The small city of Bogalusa, La. made big headlines when its 25-year-old mayor was arrested and charged in connection to an alleged drug trafficking ring. Now, Mayor Tyrin Truong is speaking to the press for the first time since his arrest two months ago.
The Root previously reported a total of seven individuals were arrested in January after the Louisiana State Police Narcotics/Violent Crime Task Force began an investigation into a drug trafficking organization in 2024. Although Northshore District Attorney Collin Sims said the mayor “was not the target of the investigation,” the investigation ultimately led officials right to him.
Two months after his arrest and release from jail, Truong spoke to the news declaring his innocence, according to NOLA.com. “The charges are not true. Anybody that knows me, knows that I’m not a drug dealer,” he said over the phone.
Of his three serious charges, the mayor is also facing a solicitation charge as officials suspect he was involved with “organized entertainment with a prostitute” during his stay at an Atlanta Airbnb, according to Sims. To that, Truong doubled down on his innocence: “No, I did not. That’s not true.”
For the Bogalusa native, these allegations against him are just another example of what happens when Black people make progress. “What’s not lost on me in American politics and Louisiana politics and Bogalusa politics is the fact that there is a clear pattern of when minorities receive representation, it’s always attacked,” he said.
In a statement, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said, “We have zero tolerance for wrongdoing, especially, from public officials.”
Truong was taken into custody Jan. 7 and charged with transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses, unauthorized use of a moveable, and soliciting for prostitutes, according to jail records. He was released on $150,000 bond and has since raised over $4,000 to help with legal fees, according to NOLA.com and WDSU.
The other six suspects face charges of transactions involving proceeds from drug offenses. Three of them have been charged with conspiracy to distribute a Schedule I controlled substance. Another one faces an additional charge of distribution of a Schedule II controlled substance, according to Louisiana State Police.