LITTLE ROCK — In a predawn blitz that lit up the Arkansas capital with sirens and flashbangs, 49 alleged gang members and drug traffickers were charged Thursday in a sweeping takedown targeting the city’s most violent criminal networks. Multiple members of the Bloods and Crips — Little Rock’s dominant street gangs — are among those indicted, marking one of the largest coordinated strikes against organized street violence in recent state history.
U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland and DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen G. Azzam confirmed the unsealing of 13 federal indictments and two complaints charging the 49 individuals with drug trafficking, illegal firearms possession, and conspiracy. The operation, led by the DEA and supported by the FBI and local agencies under the GET Rock task force, saw 21 arrests made Thursday morning. Nine defendants remain at large, with federal authorities issuing active warrants and warning the public not to approach them.
Hundreds of officers from federal, state, and local agencies executed arrest and search warrants across central Arkansas. The raids yielded 21 illegally possessed firearms, body armor, 9.6 pounds of cocaine, 4 ounces of methamphetamine, 7.2 ounces of crack cocaine, 12 ounces of marijuana, 5 grams of heroin, 293 ecstasy pills, and 93 pint bottles of promethazine cough syrup. Authorities also seized approximately $50,000 in cash, four cars, and one motorcycle linked to drug distribution.
The operation is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Justice Department initiative revived in 2017 under then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to combat rising violent crime through interagency collaboration. Sessions stated, “Gangs use violence to try to assert a false sovereignty over our neighborhoods, but they will fail.” He emphasized that PSN tailors enforcement strategies to each of the 94 U.S. Attorney districts, with Arkansas prioritizing gang dismantlement.
U.S. Attorney Hiland called the operation a direct strike at the heart of Little Rock’s violent criminal ecosystem. “A team of over 250 agents and officers came together this morning to begin the process of dismantling violent gangs and removing dangerous people from the streets,” Hiland said. “These are the individuals who poison our communities with drugs and terrorize our citizens with guns. Since I took this position, targeting violent offenders has been our top priority — today is proof we’re delivering.”
Federal prosecutors say the charges stem from months of surveillance, wire intercepts, and undercover operations that exposed a sprawling network of drug distribution and armed violence. Authorities stress this is not the end. “These arrests should serve as a warning and send a clear message,” Hiland added. “We will relentlessly pursue these violent criminals and drug traffickers plaguing our city — today’s sweep is just the beginning.”
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Key Facts
- State: Arkansas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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