Federal prosecutors charged 141 defendants during Operation New Day, a Fort Worth public safety initiative that targeted drug trafficking, illegal firearms possession, illegal reentry after deportation, and crimes against children.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould announced the operation’s conclusion on November 9. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas said law enforcement conducted more than 20 undercover operations between August 24 and November 5.
Authorities seized 35 firearms, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, more than 45 kilograms of methamphetamine and more than 22 kilograms of cocaine, according to the office’s release.
Illegal reentry accounted for the largest category, with 51 defendants. Prosecutors charged 45 defendants with drug trafficking offenses and 15 with firearms offenses, including unlawful possession of machine guns and possession of firearms or ammunition by felons.
Nine defendants face child exploitation and related sex offense charges. The listed offenses include sex trafficking of minors, production or distribution of child sexual abuse material, sexual abuse of a ward and failure to register as a sex offender.
Prosecutors also charged 10 defendants with violating national defense airspace and seven with election and citizenship-related offenses. The latter category includes voting by an alien in a federal election and false citizenship statements; the release does not specify how many defendants face each offense.
The remaining charges involve two defendants accused of document fraud, one accused of assaulting a federal officer and one accused of falsely claiming U.S. citizenship.
“We will continue targeting the criminal networks behind drug trafficking to protect our communities and save American lives,” DEA Special Agent in Charge Joseph B. Tucker said in the release.
As The Dallas Express previously reported, prosecutors initially described Operation New Day as a 90-day initiative and announced 23 new federal cases less than two weeks after its launch. The final announcement counts defendants rather than cases.
The Justice Department’s September 5 launch announcement described a push to remove dangerous offenders before the holiday season. Its November 9 release announces the conclusion without explaining the change from the original 90-day plan.
Federal partners worked with Fort Worth police, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.
The charges remain allegations. Prosecutors must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt; all defendants retain the presumption of innocence.
