From U.S. Attorney General William Barr:

Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Updates on Operation Legend at Press Conference in Chicago

Today, at a press conference in Chicago, Attorney General William P. Barr announced updates to Operation Legend.

Since the operation’s launch, there have been more than 2,000 arrests, including defendants who have been charged in state and local courts. Of those arrests, approximately 592 defendants have been charged with federal crimes. In addition, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has seized 587 firearms, more than 1.2 kilos of heroin, and more than five kilos of methamphetamine; the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has seized almost 70 kilos of methamphetamine, more than 16 kilos of heroin, more than 7 kilos of fentanyl, more than 12 kilos of cocaine, 268 firearms, and approximately $5.19 million in drug proceeds; the FBI has recovered 241 weapons; and, the U.S. Marshals Service has recovered 169 firearms and made 1,810 arrests, including 163 for homicide and 120 for sexual assault.

In Chicago, there has been a 50 percent decrease in homicides in the first seven weeks of the operation, when compared to the five weeks prior to the operation’s launch.

In fact, between April 2020 and the end of July 2020, Chicago was experiencing a steady and distressing increase in fatal shootings, which precipitously declined in August.

The Attorney General launched Operation Legend on July 8, 2020, as a sustained, systematic, and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The initiative is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. 

Launched first in Kansas City, MO., on July 8, 2020, the operation was expanded to Chicago and Albuquerque on July 22, 2020; to Cleveland, Detroit, and Milwaukee on July 29, 2020; to St. Louis and Memphis on August 6, 2020; and to Indianapolis on August 14, 2020. A breakdown of the federal charges in each district is below.

Chicago, IL.

124 defendants have been charged with federal crimes outlined below.

• 30 defendants have been charged with narcotics-related offenses;
• 90 defendants have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and
• 4 defendants have been charged with other violent crime

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Results from other cities can be found here.

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In FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich’s press release is found the following:

“…right here in Chicago, we brought in 60 FBI special agents, in addition to what was already assigned here. We also surged analytical resources and data exploitation personnel to help in those investigations. Many of these folks have left their own communities to come and work side by side with the FBI agents, the ATF agents, the Chicago Police Department, and other agencies that are here. They left their own families and their own homes because they want to help, and they want to be here to help Chicago in any way. We have done this to help investigate and take the worst offenders off the streets and with the hope that we can cripple some of these organizations out there. This effort includes agents, intelligence analysts, digital evidence experts, and personnel from field offices across the country, all working together to reduce violent crime, to keep people safe, and to find and stop dangerous criminals through law enforcement actions, digital forensics, mapping trends, tips, hotlines, digital billboards, social media, press releases, and the like…

“To the citizens of Chicago, the attorney general has used the word ”will.’ If we accept this as status quo, that is not going to make any progress. If we have the will to pursue and endeavor throughout these challenges, I believe we can accomplish a lot. That will is being led by the attorney g and all the agencies here, but it also needs the will of the community. We’re asking the citizens of Chicago to trust us. Pick up the phone and provide the information we need to help solve crimes of violence, which are plaguing your communities and our communities. 

“Call 1-800-CALL-FBI or send us an e-tip online at tips.fbi.gov.”