In support of Operation Dry Water, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division arrested 10 boaters statewide for alleged driving or operating a vessel while intoxicated (DWI) from Friday, June 29 to Sunday, July 1.

 

On June 30 agents arrested:

Justin Rodriquez, 30, of Shreveport, on Lake Claiborne in Claiborne Parish;

Arnaud Cox, 58, of Chalmette, on Bayou La Loutre in St. Bernard Parish;

Aaron McKay, 21, of Osyka, Miss., on Black River Lake in Concordia Parish;

Donavan Dauzat, 29, of Marksville, on the Red River in Avoyelles Parish;

Theodore Gordon, 53, of Lake Charles, on the Calcasieu River in Calcasieu Parish;

Vernis Broussard III, 24, of Baton Rouge, on the Amite River in Livingston Parish;

Jay Aucoin, 40, of Stephensville, on the Belle River in St. Martin Parish;

Stevie Jones, 51, of Pierre Part, on Lake Verret in Assumption Parish; all for DWI on the water.

 

On July 1 agents arrested Darren Hagan, 54, of Springfield, on the Tickfaw River in Livingston Parish; and Mahrle Norman, 63, of Bayou L’Ourse, on Bayou Milhome in St. Martin Parish; for DWI on the water.

 

In Louisiana, a DWI on the water carries the same penalties and fines as on the road and includes jail time, fines and loss of driving and boating operator privileges.

 

Anyone cited for a DWI on the water or on the road will lose his or her driver's license and boating privileges for the specified time ordered by the judge in the case.  Also, each offense of operating a vehicle or vessel while intoxicated counts toward the total number of DWI crimes whether they happened on the water or road.

 

In Louisiana a DWI can be issued to anyone operating a moving vessel or vehicle while impaired.  First offense DWI carries a $300 to $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

 

Operation Dry Water was started in 2009 and is a joint program involving the LDWF/LED, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and the U.S. Coast Guard.  More information is available at  www.operationdrywater.org .
 
The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is charged with managing and protecting Louisiana’s abundant natural resources. For more information, visit us at www.wlf.la.gov. To receive email alerts, signup athttp://www.wlf.la.gov/signup.