WASHINGTON, D.C. – A three-month sweep led by the U.S. Marshals Service apprehended 4,455 violent fugitives and cleared 2,818 violent warrants across 20 cities. The operation, known as Operation North Star III (ONS III), also resulted in the seizure of 555 firearms, over $1 million in cash, and 85 kilograms of illegal narcotics.
The cities primarily targeted by ONS III included Albuquerque, Baltimore, Buffalo, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Jackson, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, New Orleans, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, Puerto Rico, and Washington, D.C.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated that the initiative was part of a larger effort to target violent criminals. “The U.S. Marshals Service conducted Operation North Star III to target the most violent criminals, and together with state and local law enforcement arrested over 4,400 fugitives across 20 cities in just three months,” said Garland.
U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald Davis emphasized that ONS is an evidence-based strategy aimed at the root causes of community violence. “ONS is part of the Attorney General’s violent crime reduction strategy, and its success is based on community partnerships and collaboration with our local and state law enforcement partners,” Davis said.
This marks the third ONS initiative since July 2022. In total, U.S. Marshals have apprehended more than 6,700 wanted fugitives, including 900 charged with homicide, and have removed over 900 weapons linked to violent crime. The ONS concept evolved from regional and district fugitive task forces that have been active since the 1980s, combining federal, state, and local resources to find and capture dangerous fugitives.