Operation Falcon – U.S. Marshals Nab Over 10,000 in Dragnet

U.S. Marshals have arrested over 10,000 fugitives as part of a large manhunt termed “Operation Falcon.”

U.S. Marshals Nab Over 10,000 in Dragnet

More than 10,000 fugitives, many wanted for violent crimes, were rounded up over the past week in a coordinated nationwide effort led by U.S. marshals. Officers from 960 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies took part in the concentrated search, which coincided with Crime Victims Rights Week, officials said. The dragnet caught 10,340 people, some of whom had two or more outstanding arrest warrants, Justice Department officials said. More than 150 who were arrested were wanted for murder, another 550 were sought on rape or sexual assault charges, and more than 600 had outstanding arrest warrants for armed robbery, officials said.
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Codenamed “Operation Falcon,” the dragnet was the largest ever in numbers of arrests and involved local, state and federal authorities, said Marshals Service spokesman David Turner.
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For all of last year, marshals arrested more than 36,000 people wanted on federal warrants, and worked with state and local authorities in catching another 31,600 fugitives, according to the Marshals Service’s Web Site.
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Congress gave the Marshals Service more money and authority to go after fugitives when it refocused the FBI̢۪s mission toward stopping terrorism in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, Turner said. The Marshals Service now has five permanent regional task forces to search for fugitives, he added.

It’s not immediately clear why they waited around for Crime Victims Rights Week to arrest the fugitives. One would think arresting fugitives would be a rather routine part of the Marshals’ business and, indeed, that of law enforcement officers in general.

Hat tip to Jen.

Update: See today’s press release UNITED STATES MARSHALS SERVICE ANNOUNCES OPERATION FALCON.

FILED UNDER: Terrorism, Uncategorized, ,
James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Jim Henley says:

    Murder. Sexual assault. Robbery. All bad. That’s 1300 out of 10,000 arrests. Wonder what lesser crimes the bulk of the pickups covered. Marijuana possession? Something else?

  2. James Joyner says:

    Clearly, Jim, you did not see the documentaries “The Fugitive” and “U.S. Marshalls.” Fugitives are all very dangerous–and craftier than hell.

  3. Jim Henley says:

    But some of them are innocent patsies set up by greedy medical corporations!

  4. jen says:

    Um, that’s Marshals with one “l”.

    This was a concerted effort, yes. However, all across the country our deputies are constantly hunting down bandits with little recognition.

    Thanks, James.

  5. McGehee says:

    Wonder what lesser crimes the bulk of the pickups covered.

    Filling in a mud puddle without a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit, would be my first guess.

  6. From Countdown on MSNBC:

    4,291 Drug Offenses
    553 Rape/Sexual Assault
    162 Murder
    68 Kidnapping

    From Fox News:
    600 Armed Robbery
    150 Gang Members (not Assault?)

    Read more at http://www.radicalruss.net

  7. Jen says:

    That only counts for a little over half the number arrested…Hmmmm very interesting!

    From Countdown on MSNBC:

    4,291 Drug Offenses
    553 Rape/Sexual Assault
    162 Murder
    68 Kidnapping

    From Fox News:
    600 Armed Robbery
    150 Gang Members (not Assault?)