US Marshals operation captures 833 fugitives, more than 51 in Kansas City

By Emily Rittman

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KCTV) — The U.S. Marshals Service announced the end of a month-long initiative that resulted in the arrest of 833 fugitives, violent criminals, sex offenders and self-identified gang members in 10 U.S. cities, including Kansas City.

Operation North Star II focused on fugitives wanted for the most serious, violent offenses including homicide, forcible sexual assault, robbery, or aggravated assault. Investigators in Kansas City arrested over 51 subjects wanted for offenses such as homicide, assault, robbery, sexual offenses, and weapons violations as part of the operation.

“A small number of people commit the most crime in the community,” said U.S. Marshal Scott Seeling. “If we can locate and arrest those individuals it takes them off the street and we know that saves lives.”

The operation was conducted in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Buffalo, New York; Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; Detroit; Jackson, Mississippi; Kansas City, Missouri; Milwaukee; Oakland, California, and Puerto Rico.

The U.S. Marshals Service used its broad arrest authority throughout the month of January along with a network of task forces in the 10 cities to arrest 95 persons wanted for homicide, 70 for robbery, 98 for weapons offenses, 200 for assault, and 68 for sexual assault. In addition, investigators seized 181 firearms, more than $229,000 in currency and more than 160 kilograms of illegal narcotics.

“Every gun we take off the street from a person who is a felon that shouldn’t have one, I see that as one gun that’s not going to be used to shoot or kill somebody,” Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Micheal Stokes said.

Kansas City was selected for Operation North Star II partly because of a high number of retaliatory shootings stemming from drug or gang activity or even small disagreements.

“Unfortunately, last year in Kansas City, we had an exceptionally high number of homicides,” Seeling said. “We selected Kansas City based on the per capita homicide rate.”

Each week in Kansas City investigators hold a shoot review meeting to track who has been shot, where shootings are happening, and why to try to stop the cycle of violence. During Operation North Star II efforts in Kansas City, one suspect who had a felony warrant survived being shot days before a warrant was issued for his arrest.

“In this case, the quickest way to prevent a retaliatory shooting, or maybe there was unfinished business from the shooting event, is to go out and take him into safe custody and that will interrupt that chain of violence,” Stokes said. “Enforcement is one small part of it. There are a lot of efforts underway from city leaders, non-profit members, and faith-based organizations. It takes the whole city to combat violence.”

During the operation, an additional 11 arrests were made for other serious offenses including federal probation violations, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.

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