MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas (KXXV) — A four-day law enforcement operation across Central Texas led to 90 arrests and the seizure of narcotics, firearms and cash as local, state and federal agencies teamed up to target violent offenders, gang members and fugitives.
Dubbed “Operation Joint Venture,” the coordinated crackdown with the United States Marshals Service resulted in the seizure of more than 1,070 grams of narcotics, 13 firearms and more than $4,300 in cash.
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McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said the operation made communities across the region safer.
“Because of this effort, I think our community and the state of Texas are a much safer place,” McNamara said.
Authorities said the operation highlighted how criminal activity increasingly crosses city and county lines, making regional cooperation critical.
“When I first started, crime seemed to stay in its own jurisdiction,” said Corey Powell with the Bell County Sheriff’s Office. “We’re not seeing that. We are seeing crime crossing city limits, and we’re seeing it cross county lines.”
The operation brought together agencies from across Central Texas to locate and arrest suspects accused of violent crimes and other offenses.
“The criminals are going to lose,” McNamara said.
The McLennan County Sheriff’s Office accounted for 27 of the 90 arrests — nearly one-third of the total arrests made during the operation.
Powell said the effort showcased the daily work law enforcement agencies do to remove dangerous offenders from communities.
“We’re bringing a highlight to an operation where we got 90 people,” Powell said. “There’s a concerted effort. These guys do this every day. The men and women in these groups strive to get these people off the street.”
Coryell County Sheriff Scott Williams said partnerships between agencies are especially important for smaller, rural counties that may have fewer resources on their own.
“Being all rural kind of areas, we all rely on each other quite a bit,” Williams said. “Separately we’re not a very big force, but collectively we’re a force to be reckoned with.”
While authorities called Operation Joint Venture a success, they said the work is far from over.
“We got 90 people off the street,” Powell said. “There’s probably 90 more that need to come, and that’s OK because we all have jails that we’re willing to put them in.”
