SAN ANTONIO – A nationwide initiative focused on the investigation and arrest of violent fugitives and gang members with active arrest warrants led to the arrests of 66 violent fugitives recently in the San Antonio area.
The arrests included a Texas Top 10 Most Wanted fugitive and 43 gang members, Susan Pamerleau, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Texas, said during a news conference Monday.
The initiative, dubbed Operation Washout, was conducted from Sept. 20-27 by the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, which is led by the U.S. Marshals Service and assisted by numerous local, state and federal agencies.
“The U.S. Marshals agency partnerships are the keys to our success,” Pamerleau said. “By combining resources, we locate and arrest fugitives wherever they go. This allows local, county and state agencies to reach far beyond the boundaries of their jurisdictions – no one is out of our reach.”
The arrests resulted in the seizure of firearms, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and marijuana, and cash, Pamerleau said.
Initiatives such as Operation Washout focus on disrupting hyper-violent street gangs and criminals most responsible for the crime and violence in their communities, a news release said. Crime data has shown that these operations play a significant role in reducing violent crime in targeted operational areas.