U.S. Attorney General William Barr will announce in Kansas City on Wednesday that federal agents involved in Operation LeGend, a federal law enforcement program assisting cities that have experienced surges in violent crime, have made more than 1,000 arrests across the country.
The milestone in arrests includes suspects in 90 homicides, a White House official said, confirming details of the announcement scheduled for later Wednesday.
“Federal agents involved in LeGend have made more than 1,000 arrests, including more than 90 homicide arrests,” the White House official told McClatchy.
Operation LeGend was launched last month and brought more than 200 federal agents to Kansas City to help stem violent crime.
The federal initiative was named after LeGend Taliferro, a four-year-old who was shot while sleeping in his bedroom on June 29.
Last week, charges were filed in his death. Ryson Ellis, 22, of Kansas City, was charged with second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of armed criminal action. President Donald Trump said that Ellis’ arrest was made with the assistance of federal agents.
At a White House event last month, Barr claimed that 200 arrests had already been made by federal agents in Kansas City alone as part of the operation. But speaking before the House Judiciary Committee, the attorney general said he misspoke. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Kansas City said the 200 arrests had been made locally as part of Operation Relentless Pursuit, an initiative announced in December that combined federal, state and local resources.
The Operation LeGend anti-crime operation has expanded to St. Louis, Memphis, Chicago, Albuquerque, Cleveland, Detroit and Milwaukee.
Katie Moore of the Kansas City Star contributed to this report.
Updated with White House quote, background.
