Pine Bluff, Arkansas – A series of coordinated law enforcement operations across Eastern Arkansas has resulted in the arrest of 47 people, including dozens of registered sex offenders accused of violating state registration laws and several fugitives wanted on serious felony charges.
The operations, led by the U.S. Marshals Service in partnership with the Arkansas State Police and numerous local, state, and federal agencies, focused on locating individuals accused of crimes against children and other high-priority fugitives.
Authorities said the two enforcement efforts, known as Operation Trident and Operation Call Your Bluff, took place during the second half of June and covered multiple communities, including Pine Bluff and West Memphis.
Operation Trident was conducted in West Memphis from June 19 through June 25, while Operation Call Your Bluff took place in Pine Bluff from June 23 through June 25.
According to officials, the combined operations resulted in the arrest of 47 individuals. Among those arrested were 31 registered sex offenders charged with failing to comply with Arkansas sex offender registration requirements.
Pine Bluff operation targets fugitives and sex offenders
Operation Call Your Bluff alone led to the arrest of 17 people.
Authorities said those arrests included 11 fugitives and six registered sex offenders who were charged with failing to comply with Arkansas’s registration requirements.
The fugitives were wanted on a wide range of felony charges, including multiple counts of possession of a firearm by certain persons, possession of a machine gun, criminal use of a prohibited weapon, robbery, theft of property by threat, probation violations, absconding, hindering apprehension, simultaneous possession of drugs and firearms, and possession of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana.
Investigators also recovered evidence during the operation, including five electronic devices and one firearm.
Several agencies joined forces during the Pine Bluff operation, including the Pine Bluff Police Department, Arkansas Community Correction, Arkansas State Police, and the Benton County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.
Pine Bluff Police Chief Shawn Davis said the department has listened to residents who want to see crime reduced throughout the city.
He made it clear that similar enforcement efforts will continue in the future.
“We hear when some of you refer to our great city as ‘Crime Bluff,'” Davis said. “But to those individuals that will not abide by the law, we will call your bluff.”
Davis also said the city is working toward a stronger future.
He stated that Pine Bluff “is making an effort to be a city on the rise with many great possibilities.”
Emphasizing the department’s priorities, Davis added, “This agency takes pride in public safety first. We will not allow anyone to destroy the vision that our public officials have in place to restore and revive this community… .”
Federal officials also praised the partnership behind the operations.
Acting U.S. Marshal Cory Harris for the Eastern District of Arkansas said the arrests demonstrate the continued commitment of law enforcement agencies to protecting the public.
“These operations demonstrate the U.S. Marshals Service’s unwavering commitment to protecting our communities by holding sex offenders accountable, apprehending violent fugitives and ensuring compliance with registration laws,” Harris said. “The success of these operations reflects the outstanding partnerships we share with our federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Working together, we are better equipped to identify, locate and apprehend offenders who threated public safety.”
Harris also commended Chief Davis for his leadership in Pine Bluff.
Calling him “a true visionary when it comes to fighting violent crime,” Harris added, “He is serious about making our community safer. The message he sends, through his action, is clear: We are stronger by virtue of our partnership. We drive crime out the more we work together.”
Matt Wright, acting special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations, said the operations also demonstrate the importance of cooperation when protecting children from online predators.
“Through our collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Service, as well as our state and local law enforcement partners, we are able to identify and apprehend individuals accused of using technology to exploit minors,” Wright said. “These operations highlight the importance of working together to safeguard our communities, both in Arkansas and online, and ensure that those who seek to exploit children are held accountable.”
Officials said the operations highlight the continued focus on locating dangerous fugitives, enforcing sex offender registration laws, and strengthening cooperation among agencies to improve public safety across Eastern Arkansas.
