Justice Department announces 6,000-plus arrests in violent crime crackdown Operation Legend

The Justice Department's Operation Legend, started this summer in several U.S. cities to fight violent crime, has resulted in over 6,000 arrests, according to the agency.

The department in a release Wednesday described the operation 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." 

Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee and St. Louis are among the nine cities included in the effort. 

"Operation Legend removed violent criminals, domestic abusers, carjackers and drug traffickers from nine cities which were experiencing stubbornly high crime and took illegal firearms, illegal narcotics and illicit monies off the streets," Attorney General Bill Barr said. 

Of the more than 6,000 individuals arrested, about 1,500 have been charged with federal offenses, and 500 were charged with homicide. Thirty-two kilos of heroin and more than 17 kilos of fentanyl have been seized by federal forces, as well as 300 kilos of methamphetamines and in excess of 135 kilos of cocaine, the report also states.

Operation Legend, which the department is deeming an overwhelming success, was named after four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while asleep in his home on the morning of June 29 in Kansas City, Missouri.

"When we launched Operation Legend, our goal was to disrupt and reduce violent crime, hold violent offenders accountable and give these communities the safety they deserve in memory of LeGend Taliferro, whose young life was claimed by violent crime, undoubtedly, we achieved it," Barr also said.