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Victim's Daughter: New Orleans Isn't Doing Enough on Violent Crime as Federal 'Swamp Sweep' Nears

Nadia Sanchez, whose mother Jeannot Plessy was killed in a 2018 New Orleans carjacking, says city leaders have not taken violent crime seriously and have prioritized tourism over residents' safety. The two suspects pleaded guilty to manslaughter and related charges, receiving 30- and 12-year sentences. Federal immigration officials are preparing "Swamp Sweep," an operation reported to target roughly 5,000 arrests across southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. Sanchez cautions that federal action may be only a temporary fix and urges city officials to prioritize long-term public safety and victims' needs.

08:02 PM, 11/22/2025Security

Jeannot Plessy, 49, was killed in a November 2018 carjacking in New Orleans while attempting to pick up her children. Prosecutors say two teenagers forced Plessy from her vehicle; one then reversed the car, fatally striking her. The men, Jontrell Robinson and Edwin Cottrell, later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and multiple related charges.

Sentences and charges: Robinson received a 30-year prison sentence and Cottrell was sentenced to 12 years. Court records show both also pleaded guilty to attempted second-degree murder, obstruction of justice (two counts), conspiracy to obstruct justice, simple robbery, conspiracy to commit simple robbery and unauthorized use of a movable.

Family reaction

Plessy's daughter, Nadia Sanchez, says the city has not done enough to address violent crime and that priorities like tourism have often taken precedence over residents' safety. "I don’t think the city or elected officials took the necessary actions or took crime seriously enough," Sanchez said in an interview. "There hasn’t been much focus on the victims and their experience. Residents live with the consequences every day."

"We didn’t have safety concerns. I walked my daughter to the playground every day after school. I never felt like we lived in a dangerous neighborhood — until it happened to us," Sanchez added.

Federal operation and local response

Federal immigration officials are preparing an operation dubbed "Swamp Sweep," expected to begin in early December and reportedly aimed at targeting roughly 5,000 arrests across southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. The operation is described as focusing on immigration-related enforcement and criminal activity in the region.

Republican Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry said he has coordinated with federal authorities on immigration and crime matters and pointed to concerns from local law enforcement about violent incidents involving undocumented individuals. "We do know that New Orleans is a place under which we've had illegal criminal activity, alien activity, in and around that city," he said.

Sanchez welcomes attention to public safety but doubts that short-term federal interventions will solve deeper problems. She called for city leaders to make victims' experiences and long-term community safety priorities rather than relying on temporary measures.

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