St. Louis, Mo. – Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter praised the conclusion of the Department of Justice’s Operation Show Me Justice, a multi‑agency effort that began in August to target illegal firearms, narcotics and other crimes in the city.
According to McCotter, the operation, which involved the U.S. Marshals Service, ATF, DEA and the St. Louis Police Department, resulted in 435 arrests for drug offenses, firearm offenses and other crimes. Of those, 412 were individuals already subject to outstanding warrants, many facing multiple counts.
Seizures and assets
The joint task force also confiscated 80 kilograms of narcotics, 166 illegal firearms, six devices used to convert firearms into machine guns, and more than $1 million in cash.
McCotter urged mayors, city councils, governors and police chiefs nationwide to contact federal authorities and consider similar operations, stating, “Violence is not inevitable. We don’t have to accept violent crime as a fact of life in any city.”
Broader federal partnership
Federal officials noted that similar collaborations have taken place in Washington, D.C., Memphis and recently in Los Angeles’ Skid Row neighborhood, where 28 arrest warrants and 44 search warrants were executed to dismantle drug distribution networks.
Over 100 law‑enforcement vehicles participated in the St. Louis effort, targeting members of several gangs, including the Main Street Crips, Grape Street/Raymond Avenue Crips and the Pueblo Bishop Bloods.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli emphasized the goal of eliminating open‑air drug markets, adding that drug dealers not only fuel addiction but also divert public assistance funds to support their operations.
The operation’s results underscore a growing federal‑local partnership aimed at restoring safety and protecting families in communities across the nation.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
