LDAF Investigation Leads to Arrest in St. Landry Parish Livestock Theft Case
For immediate release: October 16, 2026
OPELOUSAS, La. – October 16, 2026 – An investigation by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s (LDAF) Livestock Brand Commission led to the arrest of 26-year-old Cortland C. Smith on a warrant for two counts of theft of livestock. Smith was arrested by the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office on October 11, 2026.
In August 2025, Livestock Brand Commission inspectors received a complaint from a public livestock market regarding the alleged fraudulent purchase of six horses valued at $7,200 during two separate transactions in St. Landry Parish. Investigators determined that proper payment allegedly had not been made, resulting in arrest warrants for three suspects.
Smith was arrested during a traffic stop, booked into the St. Landry Parish Jail and released on a $5,000 bond. A second suspect has also been booked into the parish jail. The third suspect is being held in Texas on unrelated charges pending extradition to Louisiana.
NOTE: All persons accused of a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The LDAF Livestock Brand Commission maintains a 24-hour Crime Stoppers hotline at (800) 558-9741 for reporting livestock theft and other agricultural crimes.