"Through Operation VR [Violent Reduction]-12, over 8,000 violent fugitives who preyed on our communities were tracked down, arrested and put behind bars," Yates said. "[O]ur nation’s streets are now rid of over 500 accused murderers, 600 gang members and nearly 1,000 sex offenders."
The six-week initiative resulted in the arrest of 8,075 gang members, sex offenders and other violent criminals, the Justice Department noted in an accompanying press release.
"Fugitives initiated gun battles, forced barricaded standoffs, assaulted officers and did everything they could to evade arrest – but our Deputy Marshals, together with their law enforcement partners, stood firm and succeeded in capturing the bad guys," Yates added.
Operation VR12 was conducted in all 94 federal judicial districts but focused on 12 locations, including Baltimore, Brooklyn, Chicago and Washington, DC.
