Federal and local law enforcement officials announced the outcomes of Operation Take Back America and Project Safe Neighborhood Initiatives, coordinated by the Eastern Oklahoma Violent Crime Task Force (EOVCTF), aimed at addressing violent crime in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The announcement was made in Muskogee, Oklahoma, by Christopher J. Wilson, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and ATF Dallas Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ashley Stephens. The operation involved collaboration among federal, state, local, and tribal agencies.
“This operation demonstrates that when law enforcement stands united at every level, criminals lose,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The Department of Justice is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our federal, state, Tribal, and local law enforcement partners as part of Operation Take Back America. And by leveraging our combined resources and resolve, we are not only removing dangerous individuals and organizations from our streets but also reaffirming our commitment to protecting the safety and wellbeing of all Americans.”
United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson emphasized the importance of cooperation: “We’ve long known that achieving true success in public safety is dependent on developing and maintaining partnerships between law enforcement agencies. By leveraging these relationships, our communities are safer because we have more resources dedicated to identifying, investigating, and prosecuting those who commit violent crimes. I am proud to be here today to celebrate those partnerships and to express my appreciation to the agencies which are collectively making a tremendous impact in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.”
Ashley Stephens highlighted the results achieved through interagency efforts: “This unprecedented outcome is a direct result of the unwavering commitment, strategic coordination, and shared mission among our federal, state, tribal and local partners; taking hundreds of crime guns off the streets and dismantling large-scale drug and explosive operations saves lives. These statistics represent more than just numbers, they reflect safer communities, fewer victims, and a clear message to those who threaten public safety. The Eastern Oklahoma Violent Crime Task Force has become a model of effective interagency cooperation. Through their collective efforts, this operation disrupted criminal organizations with deep ties to violent crime, drug trafficking, illegal firearms distribution, and explosive manufacturing.”
During EOVCTF’s operations:
- Authorities seized what they described as the largest homemade explosives laboratory found recently in Oklahoma.
- Law enforcement confiscated drugs including methamphetamine (23 pounds), marijuana (100 pounds), cocaine (15 pounds), anabolic steroids (5 pounds), along with significant amounts of MDMA (ecstasy), LSD (acid), heroin, fentanyl.
- More than $270,000 in cash was recovered.
- Officers removed 606 firearms linked largely to felons or organized criminal groups.
These actions led prosecutors to indict 108 people on charges ranging from murder; robbery by force or fear; arson; Hobbs Act robbery; assault intending serious bodily injury; drug conspiracy; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; trafficking firearms; possession of machine guns; as well as prohibited persons possessing firearms or explosives.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for Eastern District works together with ATF’s Muskogee Field Office across all 26 counties within its jurisdiction—a region home to several tribal nations including Cherokee Nation Marshal Service and Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department—alongside other agencies such as county sheriffs’ offices from Adair County through Sequoyah County.
Operation Take Back America is a national initiative using Department of Justice resources against illegal immigration threats while targeting cartels or transnational criminal organizations involved in violence or narcotics trafficking.
