Law enforcement officials arrested nearly 700 violent criminals, gang members and sex offenders from the D.C. area last week as part of a nationally coordinated roundup, according to the Department of Justice.
The crackdown, dubbed Operation Falcon III, was conducted in 24 states east of the Mississippi and the District of Columbia and overall netted 10,733 fugitives, including 1,659 sex offenders, the largest number ever captured in a single law enforcement effort, said U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
In the National Capital Region, U.S. Marshal-led task forces served 907 warrants and arrested 687 fugitives, including 129 sex offenders, 24 gang members and 13 people wanted for homicide.
“It was very successful. Fugitives are elusive; most know they are wanted and don’t want to go to jail and are constantly on the move,” U.S. Marshal Chief Inspector Thomas Hession said.
One fugitive, Glenn Aubrey Pitts, 52, an unregistered sex offender who had been convicted in Northern Virginia for sexual abuse, was found in Baton Rouge, La. The task force uses leads developed from family, friends, cell mates, law enforcement officials and documents, Hession said.
The U.S. Marshals had already been helping with local police as part of the District-wide crime emergency. Before last week’s sweep, the task force had arrested more than 750 fugitives since the emergency began in July.
Two earlier stings — Falcons I and II — were held in April over the last two years. Gonzales denied that next week’s elections played any part in scheduling the latest crackdown.
The operation received a boost from the 2006 Adam Walsh Act, named after the murdered son of “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh. The law directs federal resources to rounding up sexual predators and helping state and local governments catch convicted individuals who failed to register in communities where they live.
An estimated 1 million fugitives are on the loose nationwide.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
