DOJ announces more than 1,000 arrests, seizure of nearly 100 illegal firearms after gang-related threat operation

Operation Spring Cleaning, a three-month sweep by the U.S. Department of Justice to target gangs and enhance public safety, has netted more than 1,100 arrests and the seizure of nearly 100 illegal firearms and 2,700 pounds of drugs.

The nationwide initiative spearheaded by the FBI was coordinated with federal, state, and local law enforcement, and targeted the illegal flow of firearms and narcotics into American communities, officials said. The operation started on March 1 and ended May 31.

“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.”

Of the more than 1,100 arrests, Operation Spring Cleaning led to the filing of more than 600 charges and the executing of almost 600 search warrants. Those actions resulted in the seizure of almost 1,000 illegal firearms, dozens of which were equipped with machine gun conversion devices (MCDs), as well as 75 stand-alone MCDs. Officers also seized more than 1,100 pounds of cocaine, nearly 700 pounds of methamphetamine; 13,200 MDMA pills; over 550 pounds of marijuana; more than 100 pounds of fentanyl; more than 85 pounds of heroin and more than 16 pounds of crack cocaine.

“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… 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.”