On September 26th, officials announced that the U.S. Marshals Service and Metro Phoenix law enforcement arrested 140 people as part of ‘Operation Snake Eyes’ during August and September. The operation was designed to combat gang violence in the Phoenix metro area.
Gang members accounted for 51 out of the 140 people arrested. A news release from the U.S. Marshals Service also reported that law enforcement seized 131 firearms, 3,027 counterfeit fentanyl pills, and $145,831 in cash.
‘Operation Snake Eyes’ focused on communities with a “significant gang presence” and was intended to combat the increased crime in the Valley area during the COVID pandemic.
The operation involved police from Phoenix, Mesa, Glendale, and Tempe, alongside the Arizona Department of Public Safety, federal law enforcement agencies, and the U.S. Marshals Service: Arizona WANTED Violent Offender Task Force.
“Operation Snake Eyes focused on gang members, violent criminals, and communities with a high degree of violent gun related crimes. This evidence-based approach to violent crime has shown to be an effective strategy in reducing crime and helping in make our communities safer,” U.S. Marshal David Gonzales stated in the news release.
This announcement comes shortly after the success of multiple federal operations including Oklahoma City’s ‘Operation Triple Beam’ which ended with the arrest of 262 suspects and the recovery of five missing children, Georgia’s ‘Operation Not Forgotten’ which rescued 39 endangered children, Ohio’s ‘Operation Safety Net’ which led to the discovery of 25 children, Arizona’s ‘Operation Home Alone 2’ which arrested five people for luring a minor for sexual exploitation, and ‘Operation Legend’ in which 2,500 people throughout the country have been arrested for a variety of crimes.