Operation Triple Beam results in 149 arrests in North Mississippi.

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Law enforcement officers have arrested 149 individuals in North Mississippi as part of an effort to reduce violent crime, drug crime and gang activity.

“Operation Triple Beam,” a U.S. Marshals led initiative, brought together federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in an effort to reduce crime in the Golden Triangle area by identifying and arresting violent fugitives, targeting violent gang activity, and collecting intelligence to allow for the systematic removal of individuals who are responsible for committing crimes in North Mississippi.

Among those arrested were 50 gang members. The operation also resulted in the seizure of approximately $65,820 worth of narcotics and narcotics related proceeds. In addition, 155 registered sex offenders living in Northeast Mississippi and the Golden Triangle area were checked for compliance with sex offender registration requirements. Compliance checks were also conducted on eight moderate and high-risk federal and state probationers.

The operation ran from July 15, 2019 through Aug. 30, 2019. It combined the efforts of a half dozen local law enforcement agencies across three counties in North Mississippi, along with state and federal law enforcement partners.

U.S. Marshal McKittrick and Chief Deputy Jeff Woodfin praised the collaboration.

“This initiative gave the public a small glimpse of what law enforcement carries out on a daily basis. We couldn’t be more proud of the men and women who worked diligently during this highly effective operation,” McKittrick said in a statement. “This all-hands-on-deck approach was pivotal in the success of this operation, which will make a difference in our communities. Some of these cases will be prosecuted in federal court and some in state court. There are additional ongoing investigations that may lead to future arrests, all of which are important in the pursuit of dismantling the criminal element in the Northern District of Mississippi.”