Thread: Fugitive roundup nets 51 in Yuma vicinity

FROM STAFF AND AP REPORTS
Apr 15, 2005

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U.S. Marshals Service and local law enforcement agencies arrested 51 fugitives in Yuma and La Paz counties last week as part of the first-ever nationwide fugitive apprehension operation.

More than 10,000 fugitives, many wanted for violent crimes, were arrested between April 4 and 10 as part of Operation FALCON, the acronym for Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally.

In the Yuma area, authorities seized a Jeep Cherokee, 8.3 grams of methamphetamine and $2,500 during the arrests of Carlos Araujo-Araujo and Braulio Florez-Moreno, according to a news release from the U.S. Marshals Service

"This was an enormous challenge that produced the largest number of arrests ever recorded by a single operation," David Gonzales, U.S. Marshal for Arizona, said in the release. "Locally, the marshals share this great accomplishment with numerous federal, state and local agencies that dedicated more than 18 officers and agents in Yuma to assist us in this seven-day apprehension effort."

The U.S. Marshals Service for Arizona arrested 327 fugitives.

Of those arrested in Yuma, charges against them included 32 for narcotics; five for illegal entry; three for contempt of court and burglary; two for assault and auto theft; and one each for homicide, financial fraud, providing false information to law enforcement and aiding and abetting.

JR Skaggs, supervisory deputy of the marshal's office in Yuma, could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

Agencies that contributed personnel to FALCON in Yuma included the Drug Enforcement Administration; United States Probation; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Arizona Department of Public Safety; La Paz County Sheriff's Office, Yuma County Sheriff's Office; Yuma Police Department; Yuma County Probation Department; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Officials with Arizona Department of Public Safety, Yuma County Sheriff's Office and Yuma Police Department could not be reached for comment on Thursday night.

The Southwest Border Alliance and the U.S. Marshals High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Fugitive Task Force also took part. The HIDTA Task Force is comprised of deputy U.S. marshals and a member of the U.S. Border Patrol.

The Sun also attempted to contact officials with Southwest Border Alliance. They could not be immediately reached on Thursday.

FALCON focused on gang-related crimes, homicides, sexual assaults, kidnapping, unregistered sex offenders and crimes against children and the elderly. The program coincided with the beginning of the U.S. Department of Justice's National Crime Victims' Rights Week.

Officers from 960 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies from across the country took part in the search. The dragnet caught 10,340 people, some of whom had two or more outstanding arrest warrants.

More than 150 of those arrested were wanted for murder, another 550 were sought on rape or sexual assault charges, and more than 600 had outstanding arrest warrants for armed robbery, officials said.

"We know from history â€â€

Good story.Instead of trying to get the border closed with the anti-terror thing maybe we should transfer some of that wasted war on drugs time/money/effort/resources from Colombia to where we really need it-the border.