U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr updated the public Wednesday about the federal Operation Legend law enforcement initiative, which operates in several U.S. cities, including Memphis.
This, according to a press release that the U.S. Department of Justice officials published on its agency’s website.
As The Tennessee Star reported last month, as part of Operation Legend, federal law enforcement agencies work with local and state law enforcement officials to fight violent crime.
Barr offered updates during a roundtable with law enforcement officers in Albuquerque.
In Memphis officials have charged 51 defendants with federal felonies, the press release said.
The press release went on to say the following of those 51 individuals in Memphis:
• Exactly 30 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses
• Exactly 14 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses
• Exactly seven defendants have been charged with other violent crimes
The U.S. Department of Justice press release cited similar arrests in Kansas City, Chicago, Albuquerque, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Indianapolis.
“Since Operation Legend’s launch in July 2020, more than 5,000 arrests – including approximately 263 for homicide – have been made; more than 2,000 firearms have been seized; and nearly 22 kilos of heroin, more than 15 kilos of fentanyl (enough to deliver more than 7.5 million fatal doses), more than 130 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 28 kilos of cocaine, and more than $7.3 million in drug proceeds have been seized,” according to the press release.
“Of the more than 5,000 individuals arrested, approximately 1,057 have been charged with federal offenses. Approximately 568 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while approximately 411 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses.”
The initiative launched in Kansas City in July. Federal officials named it in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro. Someone shot and killed him as he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. The operation subsequently expanded to other cities, the press release said.
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
