During a month-long operation targeting gang members, sex offenders, and homicide suspects, the US Marshals New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force apprehended 264 fugitives in New Jersey’s most violent communities. The campaign, dubbed Operation Apex Hammer, launched in early June and focused on Camden, Newark, and the neighboring areas, resulting in one of the greatest fugitive roundups in the region this year.
The operation targeted high-risk people wanted for serious offenses such as murder, armed robbery, arms trafficking, sexual assault, and child exploitation. The operation resulted in the arrest of over 95 known gang members and 17 murder suspects, as well as the seizure of 14 illicit firearms and the detention of two fugitives overseas.
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Among those detained were Lorenzo Benitez, 54, who was wanted in Keansburg for numerous counts of sexual assault and was arrested in Plainfield on June 4, and Stephen Bullock, 32, who was apprehended in Hi-Nella on June 13 for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman aged 76. Another high-profile arrest was Luis Duval-Jimenez, 31, who was wanted for attempted murder after allegedly running over a South Brunswick police officer in May. He was apprehended in North Arlington on June 18.
Shawn Davis, 38, a suspect in a Trenton homicide, was apprehended in Brooklyn, while Francisco Ruiz, 67, charged with child endangerment, terroristic threats, and criminal restraint, was nabbed in Bayonne.
“This operation reflects our unwavering commitment to protect communities,” said U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr. of the District of New Jersey. “We will never stop pursuing those who threaten public safety.”
According to law enforcement officials, the 264 fugitives have been arrested over 2,600 times, demonstrating the frequency and seriousness of the acts. In total, 31 suspects were apprehended in various states, with two located worldwide.
To carry out the operation, the US Marshals worked with over 50 federal, state, and local agencies, depending on intelligence-driven targeting and interagency cooperation. The campaign represented a considerable increase in efforts to combat violent crime across the state.
Acting US Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Alina Habba, lauded the mission’s collaboration, calling it “proof of what we can accomplish when we come together to drive violent crime out of our communities.”
According to the task force, more similar operations are likely in the future as federal officials step up attempts to remove repeat violent offenders from the streets.
