Believe In America.com

butterbean · Joined: 21 Jun 2006 Posts: 2269

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 10,000 fugitives, including 1,659 alleged * offenders, were arrested in a week-long sweep by law enforcement officials in 24 eastern states, U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said on Thursday.

The arrests were conducted October 22-28 in the third installment of Operation Falcon, which Gonzales told reporters was designed to make "sure that there aren't second or third victims, especially children ... by a dangerous fugitive."

Results of the crackdown came five days before U.S. congressional elections as well as voting on state and local issues in the 50 states.

John Clark, director of the U.S. Marshals Service, said the roundup of the 10,733 fugitives was planned "without regard to any political elections coming up." He said agents wanted to have the advantage of the warm fall weather, when fugitives are still circulating outside.

Under the Falcon program, U.S. marshals teamed with local law enforcement to capture fugitives accused of a range of serious crimes, from murder to sexual abuse of children, assault, rape, armed robbery and theft.

The previous two fugitive roundups under Operation Falcon -- an acronym for Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally -- were in April of this year and April 2005. The three operations resulted in the arrest of more than 30,000 fugitives.

continued:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061102/us_nm/crime_fugitives_dc_1

I guess the 'timing' of these arrests, has nothing to do with the elections next week. Wink