U.S. Marshals arrest more than 230 fugitives, including rapists and murderers, in Maryland operation

Written by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The U.S. Marshals Service has closed “Operation Silver Shield,” a 90-day interagency operation that resulted in the arrest of 232 fugitives in Maryland, including individuals wanted for serious crimes such as rape and murder.

The large-scale public safety initiative, which ran from May through August 2024, targeted noncompliant sex offenders and fugitives involved in violent crimes, the U.S. Marshals said in an Aug. 9 news release. Those arrested included 36 people wanted for sex offender registration violations, 17 for rape and 14 for murder.

“The arrest of these fugitives is a step in the right direction to keep Maryland safe.“Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement.

During the operation, officers also seized seven firearms and successfully recovered four seriously missing children.

Dozens of federal, state and local agencies participated in the operation. Agents from the District of Maryland prioritized arresting sex offenders who were in violation of the law, while members of the Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, a unit of the U.S. Marshals, focused on capturing violent fugitives.

“During this operation, we worked closely with local communities to remove dangerous offenders from the streets,” Mathew Silverman, deputy chief of the U.S. police for the District of Maryland, said in a statement. He added that the results of the operation “reflect the true power of our public safety partnership.”

The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, which has apprehended more than 78,000 fugitives since its creation in 2004, has cooperative agreements with more than 133 federal, state, and local agencies operating in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia.

In addition to the U.S. Marshals Service, Operation Silver Shield also involves the Baltimore Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI.

Operation Silver Shield was launched on May 3, 2024, with the goal of protecting the community by prioritizing the recovery of seriously missing children and arresting offenders who pose the greatest risk to public safety.

A similar operation in 2023, called “Operation We Will Find You,” led to the recovery of 225 missing or endangered children.

At the time, the U.S. Marshals noted that cases involving missing or endangered children are among the most challenging due to the presence of “risk factors,” such as involvement in child sex trafficking, child exploitation, sexual and physical abuse, and serious medical and mental health problems.

The passage of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act in 2015 strengthened law enforcement’s ability to find missing children. The legislation increased the authority of the U.S. Marshals, allowing them to better handle cases involving children at risk, even when there was no fugitive or sex offender directly involved.

Since the law went into effect, the U.S. Marshals, in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, have successfully recovered more than 3,100 missing children.