WASHINGTON – The United States Department of Justice announced on September 27, 2024, that the U.S. Marshals Service arrested 3,421 violent fugitives. This includes 216 for homicide, 803 for assault and 482 for weapons offenses during Operation North Star FY 2024.
ONS FY24 covered 74 days and targeted fugitives and violent offenders in 10 cities, putting priority on those who used firearms in their crimes or showed signs of high violence. ONS FY24 targeted violent criminals who were wanted on warrants for homicide, sexual offenses, robbery, aggravated assault and firearms violations. During ONS FY24, investigators seized 534 firearms, over $508,000 in U.S. Currency and over 1005 pounds of illegal narcotics. The narcotics seized included over 550,000 fentanyl pills.
The cities that were selected for ONS FY24 were selected using data from the National Crime Information Center and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Crime Report. The cities included Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, Charleston and North Charleston, South Carolina, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Little Rock, Arkansas, Phoenix, Saint Louis, Birmingham, Alabama, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Dayton, Ohio and San Antonio.
“We first launched Operation North Star in 2022 to identify and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “From May to September of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service worked with state and local law enforcement partners in 10 metropolitan areas to arrest more than 3,400 fugitives and violent offenders and seize large quantities of firearms and fentanyl. I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, Task Force Officer, investigator, and police officer who carried out these arrests, and who did so at great risk to themselves.”
“Over the past year, the Marshals Service conducted Operation North Star in 10 cities across the country experiencing high levels of gun violence,” said USMS Director Ronald L. Davis. “Over 3,000 dangerous fugitives, including over 200 homicide suspects, were apprehended and removed from neighborhoods. The success of this operation is the result of the outstanding combined efforts of our Deputies and Task Force Officers, along with strong collaboration with the community and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”
Since July 2022, Operation North Star initiatives have netted more that 10,200 wanted criminals including 1,153 charged with homicide in addition to the seizure of more than 1,425 weapons associated with violent crime.