Operation North Star Targets Violent Offenders in Phoenix, DOJ Reports

Operation North Star FY24 focused on violent offenders across multiple cities, including Phoenix, resulting in over 3,400 arrests nationwidePhoto byLOGAN WEAVER | @LGNWVRonUnsplash

The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that the U.S. Marshals Service successfully apprehended 3,421 violent fugitives during Operation North Star FY 2024, including the Phoenix area.

Among those taken into custody were 216 individuals wanted for homicide, 803 for assault, and 482 for weapons offenses. The operation, which ran from May 10 to Sept. 13, targeted violent offenders across 10 metropolitan areas.

During the operation, law enforcement officers seized 534 firearms, over $508,000 in U.S. currency, and 456 kilograms of illegal narcotics. This included 138 pounds of fentanyl and more than 550,000 fentanyl pills—substances that have significantly impacted communities like Phoenix amid an ongoing public health crisis.

"Through Operation North Star, over 3,000 dangerous fugitives were removed from neighborhoods," U.S. Marshals Service Director Ronald L. Davis said. "This success is a testament to the combined efforts of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies."

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland commended the collaborative effort. "The Marshals worked with local and state law enforcement to arrest more than 3,400 violent offenders and seize significant quantities of firearms and fentanyl," Garland said. "I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, task force officer, and police officer who risked their lives during this operation."

Since its inception in July 2022, Operation North Star has led to the apprehension of over 10,200 fugitives and the seizure of more than 1,425 firearms nationwide. The initiative represents a data-driven approach to reducing violent crime by focusing on removing dangerous individuals from communities like Phoenix, according to the DOJ.

The 10 metropolitan areas selected for Operation North Star FY24 included North Charleston, South Carolina; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Phoenix, Arizona; St. Louis, Missouri (including East St. Louis, Illinois); Birmingham, Alabama; Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Dayton, Ohio; and San Antonio, Texas, according to the DOJ.

To watch video coverage of Operation North Star and see law enforcement in action during the operation, visit Tysonomo.com.