Marshals Service arrests 3,400 people as part of Operation North Star

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that the U.S. Marshals Service has arrested 3,421 fugitives in the final phase of its high-impact apprehension initiative called Operation North Star FY 2024 (ONS FY24).

In a press release, the Justice Department said that of the 3,421 arrested, 216 were arrested for murder, 803 for assault and 482 for weapons offenses.

Authorities said the enforcement actions for ONS FY24 took place over a 74-day period, from May 10 to September 13.

The initiative targeted refugees in ten metropolitan areas – Little Rock, Dallas and Fort Worth, Charleston and North Charleston, Baton Rouge, Phoenix, St. Louis, Birmingham, Winston-Salem, Dayton and San Antonio.

The Justice Department said the program targets violent offenders wanted for murder, sexual offenses, robbery, aggravated assault and firearms violations.

During the operations, marshals also seized 534 firearms, 456 pounds of illegal drugs and more than $508,000 in federal dollars.

“I am deeply grateful to every deputy U.S. marshal, task force officer, investigator and law enforcement officer who made these arrests and did so at great risk to themselves,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, who visited law enforcement officials in Little Rock, said.

According to the Justice Department, Operation North Star initiatives have resulted in the arrest of 10,200 wanted fugitives since 2022, of which 1,153 were wanted for murder. In addition, 1,425 weapons used in violent crimes were confiscated.

“The success of this operation is the result of the outstanding collective efforts of our deputies and task force officers, as well as close collaboration with the community and our local, state and federal law enforcement partners,” said Ronald L. Davis, Director of the Marshals Service.

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Originally published: September 28, 2024 at 5:00 p.m