New details now on a large FBI and police raid in Dallas. After a two-year investigation, police arrested more than a dozen people early Thursday morning. NBC 5’s Phil Prazan reports.
The FBI's Dallas office outlined the results of a joint law enforcement operation with Dallas law enforcement that Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said resulted in the arrest of a "violent wanted criminal" on July 27.
The FBI was joined by 200 agents from state and local agencies for an operation that resulted in 15 arrests, according to FBI Dallas Field Office Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough, it was the result of a two-year investigation.
"This operation is a prime example of how the FBI is working to support Chief Garcia and the Dallas Police Department in their violent crime reduction plan and targeting the most violent offenders and gangs located in the city of Dallas," said Yarbrough. "It's not our goal to just put individuals in jail for a few days, but to build cases that cut into the capabilities of these gangs and criminal enterprise."
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Yarbrough said the investigation targeted those who played big roles in gang and drug dealing activity from several different criminal organizations across Dallas.
"We wanted to cut the head off the snake, so we're going after the top tier targets, and some of those top tier targets are related to multiple organizations," said Yarbrough.
Yarbrough said that during the investigation 25 firearms, cash, cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl were seized.
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U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton said 15 people arrested Thursday were charged with 16 counts from possession with intent to distribute cocaine to possession of unregistered firearms. Six are charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
"There is one violent crime plan in the City of Dallas and to have us all lock arms into that crime plan is extraordinary, " said Garcia. "Yesterday was a good day in Dallas"
On Thursday morning Garcia took to X, the platform previously known as Twitter, to praise the joint operation work that he said resulted in a neighbor saying "thank you."
Yarbrough said the arrests Thursday bring the total indicted during the two-year operation to 34.
Officials stressed there is more work to be done and they plan to continue the partnership to combat violent crime and target gangs and criminal enterprises.
