A 60-day operation led by U.S. Marshals has reportedly led to the arrest of more than 100 gang members and the discovery of five missing and endangered children.
“Operation Triple Beam” ended Sept. 6 and targeted violent fugitives and criminals who were wanted on charges including homicide, felony assault and sexual assault as well as illegal possession of firearms, illegal drug distribution and robbery and arson, according to Johnny Kulhman, the U.S. Marshal for the Western district of Oklahoma, per KOCO news.
A 60-day U.S. Marshals operation to reduce violent gang crime in Oklahoma City resulted in 262 arrests – including six people wanted for homicide – and the rescue of five missing children: https://t.co/leNPRZxUGG
— U.S. Marshals (@USMarshalsHQ) September 18, 2020
Officials arrested 262 individuals in the Oklahoma City metro, including 141 confirmed gang members, according to Kuhlman. Officials also found 72 firearms along with a slew of drugs worth nearly $17,000. (RELATED: US Marshals Auctioning Off Merchandise From Failed Fyre Festival)
“Operation Triple Beam OKC was a targeted enforcement initiative by the Marshals and their partners to address violent crime in and around Oklahoma City,” Kuhlman said. “Our primary goal with operations like OTB is to make communities safer. When we arrest these violent fugitives, we are also removing guns and narcotics from our streets. We believe these efforts have an immediate, positive impact on the communities we serve.”
One of the individuals arrested was Pablo Robledo, a gang member who fled Oklahoma County Detention Center while awaiting murder charges.
The news comes less than a month after the U.S. Marshals Service Missing Child Unit rescued 26 kids and located 13 who are safe in Georgia through “Operation Not Forgotten.”