The St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office has made another flurry of arrests over the last four days of suspects they say operated an “elaborate drug distribution network” that inmates ran at the parish’s correctional center.

The investigation included assistance from the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and Broussard Police Department, according to a SMPSO spokeswoman.

The seven new arrests, combined with the 15 arrests Sheriff Becket Breaux announced in August, brings the total number of people named in the enterprise to 22 so far.

Six of the latest arrestees are from Breaux Bridge. Bailey Williams, 20, Martha Lavergne, 46, Juanita Batiste, 65, and Demetris Jackson, 29, were arrested Friday. Also arrested Friday were two current inmates, Trey Lavergne, 27, and Jacob Joseph, 29, also Breaux Bridge.

A seventh suspect, Brisen Jones, 28, of Broussard, was arrested the morning of Oct. 26.

All seven were charged with racketeering activity, which also includes the charges of manufacture and distribution of Schedule I controlled dangerous substances, manufacture and distribution of Schedule IV controlled dangerous substances, money laundering, certain activities regarding contraband in penal institutions prohibited and transactions involving proceeds from controlled dangerous substances activity.                                 

All seven were booked into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center with bond set at $55,000 each.

Breaux held a press conference on Aug. 17 to announce the first batch of arrests of 14 inmates and one former inmate on similar racketeering charges involving  the smuggling of contraband and narcotics into the St. Martin Parish Correctional Center.