26 Violent Offenders Taken off Eastern Washington Streets

The United States Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force in Eastern Washington completed a two-week warrant sweep entitled, “Operation Centennial Trail.”

Within just two weeks, law enforcement partners focused upon apprehending violent fugitives and repeat offenders that were deemed a risk to public safety within Eastern Washington; netting 26 of the wanted individuals. Offenders were arrested on warrants for crimes ranging from Assault, Burglary, Child Molestation, Dangerous Drugs, Illegal Entry, and Failure to Register, as well as Felon in Possession, Robbery, Sex Offenses, Possession of Child Pornography, Weapon Possession, and Vehicular Homicide.

Operation Centennial Trail’s goal was to reduce violent crime in Eastern Washington, but also to reduce the growing numbers of violent offenses across the state for the foreseeable future. During the operation, officers focused on reducing case backlogs, apprehending violent fugitives, and reducing overall violent crime.

The United States Marshals Service led mission was the culmination of efforts from numerous law enforcement agencies, including Benton County Sheriffs Office, Brewster Police, Colville Tribal Police, Idaho Department of Corrections, North Central Washington Narcotics Task Force, Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Okanagan County Sheriff’s Office, the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office and several others.

In a press release, Craig Thayer, United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington stated, “The tremendous cooperative efforts of all the law enforcement agencies that participated in this violent offender warrant operation have made our communities safer by bringing these wanted offenders into the court systems to account for their alleged offenses”.

According to their website, The United States Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force (PNVOTF) is "a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives."