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Police arrested 15 individuals on Thursday in Oak Cliff on charges of drug and firearm possession, concluding a joint two-year investigation with the FBI and Dallas Police Department’s gang unit.
According to a press conference held on Friday by the FBI Dallas Bureau, Chad Yarbrough, special agent in charge of FBI Dallas, said 34 total people were indicted as a result of the operation, with Thursday’s arrests being the latest.
Authorities have “seized 25 firearms, numerous cash, cocaine, crack-cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl,” according to Yarbrough.
Some of the seized weapons included glock switches, an illegal modification that transforms semi-automatic handguns into fully-automatic weapons capable of continuous fire.
After a video of FBI team members searching the homes where the illegal substances and weapons were located played, Yarbrough said the operation is a prime example of how the FBI is working to support Chief Garcia and the Dallas Police Department in their violent crime reduction plan.
According to the DPD Beat, “The Plan is comprised of evidence-based short, mid, and long-term strategies designed to work together to reduce violent crime in the City’s most violence-prone areas, thereby reducing aggregate levels of violent street crime City-wide.”
The Plan also focuses on improving quality of life according to Chief Eddie Garcia.
“It’s not our goal to just put individuals in jail for a few days, but to build cases that cut into the capabilities of these gangs and criminal enterprises,” Yarbrough said. “The process is strategic and takes time, but the pay-off is worth it.”
Yarbrough said North Texas authorities will continue to investigate such operations in the days and months to come.
Leigha Simonton, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said some of the unregistered firearms were possessed by 6 previously convicted felons.
“Prosecuting these worst-of-the-worst offenders not only holds them accountable for their past wrongs, it prevents them from committing future crimes,” Simonton said. “It makes our streets safer and our communities sleep more soundly at night.”
She said research shows drug trafficking and gun violence are highly correlated.
“That’s alarming, because as we know, guns and drugs don’t mix,” Simonton said.
Some individuals will face up to 40 years in federal prison if convicted.
Over 200 law enforcement members from the FBI, Dallas Police, Dallas Police Gang Unit, Dallas County Sheriff’s Department and other agencies were involved in the investigation.
“The relationships that we share with our federal partners are second to none,” Garcia said. “It takes us all to fight to prevent crime and criminal activity.”
According to Garcia, violent crime is on a downward trend, and credits that to the hard work of officers, agencies, community support and leaders.
