Operation Falcon- 10,000 arrests

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Copyright 2005 Business Wire, Inc.

Business Wire

April 14, 2005 Thursday 6:00 PM GMT

National Desks; Criminal Justice Writers

532 words


U.S. Marshals ''Operation FALCON'' Breaks All Records for Fugitive Arrests

WASHINGTON April 14, 2005


Today, United States Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez announced the U.S. Marshals Service successfully completed the largest fugitive apprehension operation in American history. Operation FALCON ("Federal And Local Cops Organized Nationally"), which took place from April 4th through April 10th, was an unprecedented cooperative effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities. Over the seven days, Deputy U.S. Marshals and their law enforcement partners arrested a total of 10,340 fugitives, and cleared more than 13,800 felony warrants.

Operation FALCON's accomplishments included 201 drug seizures and the confiscation of 243 guns. The record-setting sweep cleared 162 homicides, and the arrests of 154 documented gang members and 553 sex offenders.

"Operation FALCON is a striking example of what the Marshals Service does best when apprehending dangerous fugitives," said Ben Reyna, Director of the Marshals Service. "This operation would not have been possible without the cooperation of our law enforcement partners on the federal, state, and local levels."

"During Operation FALCON, nearly 960 federal, state, and local agencies helped identify thousands of the nation's most dangerous fugitives. They then joined our 83 district-based and five regional fugitive task forces and our three foreign field offices to put over 3,000 law enforcement officers on the street each day," explained Director Reyna. "We focused on gang-related crimes, homicides, sexual assaults, kidnappings, major drug dealers, unregistered sex offenders, crimes against children and the elderly, and weapons violations. The results speak for themselves."

Operation FALCON coincided with the beginning of the U.S. Department of Justice's "National Crime Victims' Rights Week." During his remarks announcing the results of Operation FALCON, the Attorney General praised the efforts of the participating agencies. "By taking violent fugitives off the streets and putting them behind bars where they belong," said General Gonzalez, "we've honored the victims in a way never realized before and made our streets safer."

Operation FALCON task force members also handled cases referred by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as well as those of foreign fugitives believed to be in this country. The Marshals Service received support from the Department of Justice's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). Interpol and the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service assisted in the investigations of persons wanted by law enforcement worldwide. Sixteen foreign and international fugitives who were arrested during Operation FALCON now face deportation or extradition proceedings.

PHOTOS/VIDEO AVAILABLE

Photos of actual arrests during the Operation are available at www.usmarshals.gov, as well as fact sheets on arrests nationwide and in each of the agency's 94 Districts. A five-minute B-roll video package will be distributed via satellite on April 14 at 2:30 pm EDT (11:30 am PDT) and 4:45 pm EDT (1:45 pm PDT), at these C-Band coordinates: IA 6 T-15, Downlink Frequency: 4000 V 93 degrees WL.