Local and federal law enforcement officers in Memphis have arrested 302 people as a part of Operation Legend, according to U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant.
“Between August 6 and September 8, 2020, federal and local law enforcement agencies in the Operation Legend Task Force have worked cooperatively to arrest 106 people on new state and federal charges,” Dunavant said in a press release.
“Ninety of those arrests were for state charges and 16 of the arrests were for federal violations. In addition to the 106 arrests, several seizures were made during Operation Legend activities.”
The seized items include:
• 85 firearms
• 6.3 kilograms of methamphetamine and 4 kilograms of heroin
• $191,645 in U.S. currency
“The seizure of the firearms is significant since the available information demonstrates that firearms are used in a high percentage of murders and aggravated assaults committed in Memphis,” the press release said.
In the first month of Operation Legend in Memphis, authorities charged a total of 16 defendants with new federal crimes:
• Nine defendants have been charged with federal firearms violations
• Four defendants have been charged with violating federal drug laws
• Three defendants have been charged with federal violent crimes such as bank robbery, carjacking, and the robbery of a business engaged in interstate commerce
U.S. Attorney General William Barr, in a separate press release, said that, nationwide, Operation Legend has resulted in more than 2,000 arrests, including defendants who were charged in state and local courts.
“Of those arrests, approximately 592 defendants have been charged with federal crimes,” Barr said.
“In addition, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has seized 587 firearms, more than 1.2 kilos of heroin, and more than five kilos of methamphetamine; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized almost 70 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 16 kilos of heroin, more than 7 kilos of fentanyl, more than 12 kilos of cocaine, 268 firearms, and approximately $5.19 million in drug proceeds; the FBI has recovered 241 weapons; and, the U.S. Marshals Service has recovered 169 firearms and made 1,810 arrests, including 163 for homicide and 120 for sexual assault.”
As reported last month, as part of Operation Legend, federal law enforcement agencies work with local and state law enforcement officials to fight violent crime.
Federal officials launched Operation Legend in Kansas City, Missouri in July. They soon expanded the operation to Chicago, Albuquerque, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Louis, Memphis, and Indianapolis. Department of Justice officials sent 16 federal investigators to Memphis on temporary assignment for 90 days. This, followed by 24 permanent agent assignments from the FBI, DEA, ATF, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
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Chris Butler is an investigative journalist at The Tennessee Star. Follow Chris on Facebook. Email tips to [email protected].
More propaganda for the police state. This is nothing less than a diminution of states rights as per the 10th Amendment, and a (further) Federalization of the police forces, which is not good. It removes any accountability of the police force to the local community.
These glorified goon squads fly in anonymously, apply whatever practices they deem most efficient and pursuant to “officer safety”, state law and Constitutional protections be hanged. “Partnering with local law enforcement” largely consists appointing a Federal employee as supervisor, and local sheriffs abdicate their role as chief law enforcement officer (CLEO) for their county. Elected sheriffs are then rendered null, and as long as they get their funding and nifty military surplus from Daddy Fed, they’re happy.
Worse, it removes any responsibility from the mayors of these cities to police their own community. Citizens that want increased protection for their community are not allowed to tailor that police response. Rather than adhering to the doctrine of minimum force necessary to ensure safety and stability, it uniformly applies the maximal force that is needed in the absolute worst situation, and that blanket approach is applied to all communities, without regard to its necessity.
Yes, these cities are poorly managed – but it is not the role of the Federal government to correct that – it is the role of the citizens of that community, we the people, to demand and effect change, and that change needs to be accountable to the people, not the Federal.
Were this operation to have been launched under the previous President’s administration, conservatives and Constitutional advocates would be howling in outrage. In fact, they were. But now, those same individuals are mollified and pacified by what, exactly?
No, this propaganda needs to be exposed. It is anathema to states rights and contrary to our Constitution.