Thousands of America’s Most Violent Fugitives Arrested, DoJ Says

U.S. Marshals arrested 3,421 violent fugitives for various offenses in the latest phase of a targeted mission, according to the Office of Public Affairs of the Department of Justice’s press release.
From May through mid-September, during 74 operational days, authorities worked on Operation North Star, an apprehension initiative that focused on finding fugitives and violent offenders in 10 cities. In particular, the operation focused on fugitives believed to have used firearms in the commission of crimes, or considered to be at a high risk of violence. It resulted in the arrest of 216 individuals accused of homicide, 803 accused of assault, and 482 accused of weapons offenses.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said, per the statement, “We first launched Operation North Star in 2022 to identify and apprehend the most dangerous fugitives and violent offenders.”
He continued, “I am deeply grateful to every Deputy U.S. Marshal, Task Force Officer, investigator, and police officer who carried out these arrests, and who did so at great risk to themselves.”
Items seized included 534 firearms, more than $508,000, and 456 kilograms of illegal narcotics, which included 138 pounds and over 550,000 pills of fentanyl, according to the statement.
Arrests in Operation North Star took place in cities across states including Texas, South Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas, Arizona, Illinois, Alabama, North Carolina, and Ohio.
Arrests labeled as “significant” by the Department of Justice included Aaron Michael Jones, accused of home invasion, domestic abuse battery, and child endangerment in Louisiana; Garron Stevenson, accused of opening fire at a public event killing a 14-year-old in Missouri; and Michael Muldovan in Virginia accused of statutory rape.
Four others, Hayden Bates-Vellmure, Jordan Elijah Jackson, Allan Gilbert, and Patrick Biscoe, were also arrested by the North Texas Fugitive Task Force for charges related to a drive-by shooting that resulted in multiple children being injured. Authorities say they found nine handguns during the arrest, as well as a shotgun.
United States Marshal Service Director Ronald L. Davis was quoted in the release: “The success of this operation is the result of the outstanding combined efforts of our Deputies and Task Force Officers, along with strong collaboration with the community and our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners.”
Operation North Star has spread across 30 locations and led to the arrests of more than 10,200 wanted fugitives and the seizure of more than 1,425 weapons associated with violent crime since 2022, according to the Department of Justice.
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