Operation Gideon 4: 55 Arrests, 84 Firearms, Extensive Amounts of Drugs Off the Streets

A massive operation in Stockton, the largest that has ever been conducted in the city, resulted in the tactical removal of some of Stockton’s most dangerous criminal offenders and simultaneously rid the city streets of significant amounts of drugs and dangerous firearms.

84 Firearms Recovered

A total of 36 lbs of methamphetamine 21 lbs of marijuana and significant amounts of heroin and crack cocaine, 84 firearms including six machine guns, four short-barrel rifles and two silencers have been successfully removed from the streets.

ATF

Ben Wagner U.S. Attorney  disclosed the operations purpose during a press release on April 23rd:  As an “anti violent crime initiative involving a partnership between federal and state and local law enforcement aimed at targeting the most dangerous and violent offenders in the Stockton and surrounding areas.”

San Joaquin District Attorney

He added: “After Stockton’s record number of homicides last year authorities began this intelligence driven operation conducting over 223 enforcement actions, with more than 20 personnel assigned from the ATF and that number does not include the other assets of personnel assigned from other organizations.”

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

and  “Federal value is prosecution. People who go to federal court go to federal prison. [These people are going to federal prison, and are going to serve at least 85% of the term by law as opposed to lighter treatment in county prisons due to over population.]”

Department of Justice

Eric Jones Stockton Police Chief also disclosed that “[He] was contacted by ATF officials who informed him that due to Stockton’s record breaking homicide numbers and statistics that the city had been selected as one of the candidates for Gideon 4, a national operation and the fourth of its kind.”  He stated: “I couldn’t be more pleased…potentially violent gang members, gangs and gang groups need to be aware of the operation and the consequences of today because this is not just a onetime operation and there will be ongoing operations and ongoing efforts.. and this is definitely not the end, this is part of how we do business now.”

Stockton Police Department

Joe Riehl ATF Special Agent in Charge said: “Violent crime in Stockton has met its new nemesis and the advisory has been identified as ATF’s Front Line. Front Line is a new business model for ATF which uses intelligence driven initiatives the focus on targeted enforcement areas much like we did here in the city of Stockton and the surrounding area. We strategically saturated criminal infested areas to identify, arrest and perfect criminal cases in an effort to remove offenders from our streets and put them behind bars.”

He also stated: “This operation used existing ATF resources along with the Stockton Police Department, the California Highway Patrol and other law enforcement agencies in the region.”

This operation is sure to have criminals thinking twice about if they will eventually be caught and prosecuted for their actions. It has already significantly caused a decrease in Stockton’s crime rate thus far.

Read More:

KCRA: Stockton’s ‘Operation Gideon’ nets 55 arrests

News 10: Details released in Stockton ATF investigation (photos)