Nearly 200 arrests were made statewide in recent weeks, including some in Gainesville, during a roundup dubbed Operation No Escape, according to an announcement by the FBI and U.S. Marshals Service at a news conference in Atlanta Thursday.
An undisclosed number of the arrests were made in Gainesville.
FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown said the goal of the sweep of the state was to locate fugitives. The operation lasted a month and a half and saw federal, local and state authorities team up to capture 177 wanted persons.
Of those apprehended, 28 were wanted for murder or manslaughter. 60 were charged with assault, and eight were accused of crimes against children.
“Here in Georgia, we aren’t standing idly by,” Brown said. “We are addressing violent crime head-on through intelligence and partnerships. We promise to continue our work to disrupt violent crimes, drug organizations, and human traffickers whose criminal acts devastate families and communities.”
And he offered this breakdown on where in Georgia the arrests were made:
- 106 captured in Metro Atlanta
- 27 captured in Columbus/Albany/Valdosta
- 16 captured in Macon and Athens
- 11 captured at HJ-ATL Airport
- 9 captured in Augusta and Statesboro
- 5 captured in Savannah and Brunswick
- 15 captured in Cartersville, Dalton and Gainesville