Louisiana Governor Signs Extradition Request to Prosecute Illegal California Abortionist

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed extradition paperwork Tuesday to seek the prosecution of a California abortionist accused of illegally shipping abortion pills into the state.

Landry is vowing to hold accountable those who undermine Louisiana’s pro-life laws and endanger women and unborn children.

“I am signing the extradition paperwork to bring this California doctor to justice,” Landry posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Louisiana has a zero tolerance policy for those who subvert our laws, seek to hurt women, and promote abortion.”

The Republican governor added: “I know Gavin Newsom supports abortion in all its forms, but that doesn’t work in Louisiana. We are unapologetically pro-life.”

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The abortionist, Remy Coeytaux, has been the subject of a criminal arrest warrant in Louisiana, with his name entered into the National Crime Information Center database. He is accused of illegally distributing mifepristone, the primary drug used in chemical abortions, to Louisiana residents in violation of the state’s abortion ban enacted after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who announced the warrant earlier Tuesday, said in a video statement that her office had forwarded the extradition request to Landry for transmission to California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

“We have officially sent paperwork to the governor’s office to send extradition papers to the Governor of California to execute a warrant against an abortion doctor who is illegally sending abortion pills into our state,” Murrill said.

She described the distribution as “illegal drug trafficking” that harms women, adding: “We are going to continue to fight the illegal sending of abortion pills into Louisiana. It is hurting women and it’s illegal.”

Murrill pledged to pursue legal actions against states shielding such providers, saying: “We’ll also pursue actions against the states that are shielding those doctors allowing them to illegally try to nullify our laws.”

The case stems from broader concerns over mail-order abortion pills flooding pro-life states like Louisiana, where abortions are banned except to save the mother’s life. From April to June 2024, an average of 617 abortions per month in Louisiana involved mifepristone shipped from out-of-state drug pushers, primarily in California and New York, according to state officials.

One key incident involves Rosalie Markezich, a Louisiana woman who was coerced by her boyfriend in 2023 to take mifepristone obtained via email from Coeytaux. Markezich, who did not want the abortion, now grieves the loss of her child and suffers lasting emotional trauma, state officials said.

In a related enforcement push, Louisiana joined Florida, Missouri and Texas in October 2025 to sue the Food and Drug Administration, challenging a 2023 policy change under the Biden administration that removed in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone.

The suit seeks to reinstate safeguards like ultrasounds and follow-up care, arguing the relaxed rules enable illegal shipments that bypass state bans and increase risks of coercion, hemorrhaging and infections affecting about 11% of users.

Murrill, appearing on the “Washington Watch” radio program, called the FDA’s policy a political move that allows “drug dealers from other states who are shipping these drugs illegally into our state.” She compared it to “trafficking fentanyl” and noted enforcement challenges from “shield laws” in states like California and New York that protect abortion providers from out-of-state actions.

“We’ve tried to enforce our law against these out-of-state providers, but we’re being blocked by governors in states like New York and California who have passed shield laws to protect these abortion providers,” Murrill said.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, a former Louisiana legislator, hailed the lawsuit, describing mifepristone as a “murder weapon” that abusers use “often against a woman’s will.”

Another coercion case cited in the suit involves the sister of state Sen. Thomas Pressly, whose food was spiked with mifepristone by her estranged husband.

It remains unclear if Newsom will honor the extradition request, given California’s protections for abortion providers. Louisiana officials have indicated they will continue prosecuting similar cases to defend state sovereignty over abortion regulations.

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