English: Salinas, California, 2018 – A large-scale, four-month-long gang enforcement operation named “Operation Triple Beam” concluded Feb. 15 resulting in arrest of 197 fugitives, 94 of whom were gang members or associates.

The U.S. Marshals Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force led operation, involved multiple federal, state and local law enforcement agencies concentrating 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.

Photo by Shane T. McCoy / US Marshals