U.S. Marshals Service “Operation Essex Thunder” Results in 34 Arrests

Newark, NJ – The U.S. Marshals Service has concluded a 3 day enforcement initiative focusing on subjects wanted out of Essex County, NJ for charges including homicide, weapons possession, robbery, failure to register, and assault. Specifically, “Operation Essex Thunder” resulted in the arrest of 34 individuals on outstanding warrants including 9 for known gang members, and the recovery of one “ghost gun” and ammunition.

“The continued partnership between the U.S. Marshals Service and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office has resulted in another successful fugitive operation. This week, the combined teams of U.S. Marshals, local, state, and task force partners were able to successfully apprehend a myriad of violent offenders throughout Essex County. This collaboration has again worked to make our community a safer more nonviolent place,” said U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos, Jr.

During “Operation Essex Thunder,” the District of New Jersey and the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force once again used its multi-jurisdictional investigative authority to partner with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey Department of Corrections Special Operations Group, Customs and Border Protection, East Orange Police Department, Newark Police Department, and U.S. Attorney’s Office, to locate violent offenders from Essex County. Furthermore, medical support was provided to each team by University Hospital Trauma units and EMS Operations. In addition, Essex Thunder generated multiple new leads for additional criminal activity throughout the state.

“Violent gang members have continued to infiltrate and disrupt our communities. Operation Essex Thunder has helped to remove some of these dangerous individuals from our streets and produced many new leads that will likely result in future arrests,” said Mattos.

“This operation is the result of extraordinary cooperation by law enforcement at all levels. Working cooperatively, we were able to get illegal weapons off the streets along with 34 fugitives wanted for serious crimes,” said Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stevens, II.

The concept behind interagency law enforcement operations such as Operation Essex Thunder evolved largely from regional and district task forces. Since the 1980s, the Marshals Service has combined their resources and expertise with local, state, and federal agencies to find and apprehend dangerous fugitives. “Operation Essex Thunder” continued this tradition.