Salinas, CA - A large-scale, four-month-long gang enforcement operation named “Operation Triple Beam" concluded Feb. 15 with the arrest of 197 fugitives, 94 of whom were gang members or associates.
Led by the U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force, multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies concentrated their efforts and focus on known street gangs in Monterey County, particularly within the City of Salinas.
During Operation Triple Beam (OTB), which was conducted from October 2018 to February 2019, Salinas Police noted significant reduction in violent crime reports in comparison to the prior year. Specifically noted were an 87.5 percent decrease in homicide incidents, a 46.6 percent decrease in drive-by-shootings, a 31.7 percent decrease in shootings overall, and a 66.6 percent decrease in armed robberies.
Since 2010, the U.S. Marshals Service has led more than 60 counter-gang operations which have yielded over 8,000 arrests and the seizure of more than 1,800 illegal firearms.
OTB Salinas Highlights:
* 197 Total Arrests
* 94 gang members identified/arrested
* 80 arrest warrants cleared
* 14 search warrants served
* 224 parole/probation searches of gang members
* 20 sex offenders contacted/compliance checks
* 28 seized firearms
* $25,023 illegal proceeds seized
* Methamphetamine: 702 grams seized
* Heroin: 243 grams seized
* Cocaine: 23 grams seized
OTB Salinas Participating Agencies:
* U.S. Marshals Service
* Salinas Police Department / Salinas Police Department Violence Suppression Unit
* FBI
* Homeland Security Investigations
* Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
* California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
* Monterey County Probation
* California Highway Patrol
