Operation SNAG Nets 84 Gang Members, 25 Firearms and Narcotics From Over 200 Sacramento Homes

SACRAMENTO — Over 420 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies saturated the Sacramento area and arrested 84 gang members in violation of their probation or parole. Gang members throughout the Sacramento area were selected as targets. Teams were dispatched for two days searching residences of probationers and parolees. Officers and agents recovered 25 firearms, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, and opium with a street value of approximately $25,000 during the sweep.

Sacramento saw an alarming rise in violent crime, much of which was attributed to gang and drug activity. In an effort to curb the violence, the Sacramento Police Department and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department pioneered the concept of Operation SNAG, Sacramento Neighborhoods Against Gangs. The large-scale operation was the first of its kind in the Sacramento region.

“Operation SNAG” was a collaborative effort of 17 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. The Sacramento Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Sacramento County Probation Department, ATF, FBI, ICE and ten other state and local law enforcement agencies joined forces to conduct the operation.

The goal of Operation SNAG was to send a message to gang members. The message was personally delivered to 223 homes, and spoke clearly of the “No- Tolerance” policy that is endorsed by each participating law enforcement agency. “Every gang member in the Sacramento community should be touched by this operation. We will continue to forge new ground with innovative ways to reduce gang violence,” said Sacramento Police Chief Albert Najera.

“This operation was an effort to modify the behavior of gang members in Sacramento. We want them to know they can’t operate in a cloak of anonymity,” said Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness.

“Community partnerships are key to crime prevention and public safety,” said Thomas Hoffman, Director of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Division of Adult Parole.

“Gang members who possess guns illegally were targets in this operation. Every one of those guns has a history. ATF will continue working to determine what that history is,” said ATF Special Agent In Charge of the San Francisco Field Division, Stephen Martin.

For more information on ATF and programs to fight violent crime, visit www.atf.gov.

Contacts: Nina Delgadillo, PIO, ATF Pager: 888-416-4533; Sgt. Tim Curran, PIO, SSD Office: 916-874-5021 Sgt. Terrell Marshall, PIO, SPD Office: 916-433-0808

Source: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

Contact: Nina Delgadillo, PIO, ATF, Pager, +1-888-416-4533; or Sgt. Tim
Curran, PIO, SSD, +1-916-874-5021; or Sgt. Terrell Marshall, PIO, SPD,
+1-916-433-0808

Web site: http://www.atf.gov/