FBI, Partners Working in Concert to Curb Violent Crime
Nearly 6,000 violent criminals, gang members arrested in the past four months
The FBI and state and local law enforcement have arrested thousands of suspected violent criminals and taken more than 2,700 guns off the streets in the last four months.
As violent crime has increased in the last two years, the FBI and our partners worked diligently to address it. Nearly 6,000 violent criminals and drug offenders were arrested between May 1 and September 2 (in federal, state, and local cases).
The FBI has also made 206 arrests in commercial robberies (convenience stores and other retail locations) during these summer months.
As in all of the FBI’s investigations, working with law enforcement partners throughout the country is crucial.
Left: FBI Miami and local partners visit a known drug house in the Miami area, where multiple people were arrested. Right: FBI Miami and law enforcement partners participate in an operation targeting illegal drug sales and violent gang activity in Miami Gardens, Florida.
“Our state and local partners are the ones who are policing the streets on a daily basis,” said FBI Criminal Investigative Division Section Chief Jose Perez. “We are collaborating with our partners, sharing information and intelligence, identifying priorities, finding problem areas, and working those areas through our task forces.”
One of the crimes that has seen a spike recently is carjackings, especially as supply chain disruptions have made cars more valuable than ever. The FBI has formed carjacking task forces and working groups with law enforcement in several cities affected by spikes in carjacking, including:
- Baltimore
- Chicago
- Louisville
- Minneapolis
- Philadelphia
- San Juan
- Washington, D.C.
Left: Two FBI agents arrest a suspect during a violent gang takedown in the Yakima, Washington area in May 2022. Top: An FBI agent supports an investigation into a drug trafficking organization in Youngstown, Ohio.
Another area the FBI helps our state and local partners is by investigating groups of violent criminals, just as the agency has done throughout its history.
“We can supplement local resources and bring that expertise to the table. We can help our partners investigate the full scope of a violent criminal organization that's maybe not immediately visible and then come up with ways to disrupt or dismantle that organization,” Perez said.
As a result of these joint efforts, law enforcement was able to disrupt the operations of nearly 845 gangs and violent criminal enterprises and get to the heart of more than 100 of these groups by arresting key leaders and seizing their assets.
“I believe the FBI’s most sacred duty is to ensure people can live free from fear in their own homes and neighborhoods,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “To that end, we dedicate agents, analysts, and technical resources across the country to work with state and local law enforcement on these operations.”
Learn more about the FBI’s work in investigating violent crime at fbi.gov/violentcrime. Report tips to tips.fbi.gov; you can remain anonymous.
