Scene of vehicles lined up on a road, with mountain silhouette and city lights in the background. Courtesy/FBI
FBI agents gather at a SWAT operation. Courtesy/FBI
Two FBI agents in tactical gear stand near the back of an armored vehicle and a Ford pickup truck during a SWAT operation. Courtesy/FBI
FBI News:
- In Three Months, Operation Results in 1100 Arrests, Nearly 1,000 Illegal Firearms Seized, and Seizure of Over 2700 Pounds of Various Drugs
ALBUQUERQUE — The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Spring Cleaning, a nationwide initiative spearheaded by the FBI to combat gang-related threats and enhance public safety.
The operation coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement and targeted the illegal flow of firearms and narcotics in our communities. The operation began on March 1 and ended May 31.
In total, Operation Spring Cleaning led to more than 1,100 arrests, more than 600 charges filed, and almost 600 search warrants conducted.
The operation also resulted in the seizure of:
- Almost 1,000 illegal firearms, dozens of which were equipped with machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) as well as more than 75 stand-alone MCDs;
- Over 2,700 pounds of illegal narcotics including more than 1,100 pounds of cocaine;
- Nearly 700 pounds of methamphetamine;
- Over 550 pounds of marijuana;
- Nearly 50 kilograms of fentanyl or more than 100 pounds;
- Almost 40 kilograms of heroin or more than 85 pounds;
- More than 7 kilograms of crack cocaine or more than 16 pounds; and
- More than 13,200 pills of MDMA, also known as ecstasy or molly.
The operation also resulted in significant enforcement actions in the District of New Mexico. Federal prosecutors charged Lucas Maldonado with drug trafficking and firearms offenses after he allegedly supplied nearly five pounds of methamphetamine to undercover law enforcement officers and was later found in possession of fentanyl, firearms, and ammunition. In a separate case, Pete Kimbell was charged in federal court after allegedly selling multiple firearms and ammunition to an undercover law enforcement officer. Additionally, Crisantos Garcia was charged with federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses following an FBI investigation into an alleged scheme to provide weapons to an inmate seeking to escape from custody.
“When our neighborhoods are safe from the scourge of deadly drugs, individuals and families can prosper,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said. “The Trump Administration has made significant progress in removing this poison from our streets, a key step in our commitment to making America safe again.”
“This FBI understands that communities across our country have been ravaged by gangs and the firearms and narcotics they flood our streets with,” FBI Director Kash Patel said. “Operation Spring Cleaning represents our total commitment to crushing this kind of violent crime and eliminating the criminal networks who facilitate them – with over 1,000 arrests, 1,000 firearms seized, and 3,000 pounds of narcotics removed from our neighborhoods. Righteous operations like this show this FBI is only getting started and will continue delivering the most prolific run of crime reduction in U.S. history.”