St. Louis: FBI and Local Police Launch Major Violent Crime Crackdown, 'Operation VIPER'

ST. LOUIS, MO - On Tuesday, May 26, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced the results of its recent two-week initiative to reduce violent crime in St. Louis and surrounding areas.

The initiative, dubbed "Operation VIPER," ran from April 20 through May 1 and it resulted in 91 arrests, including state fugitives and FBI case-specific Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cases, Spectrum News reported. Six of the DHS cases are pending deportation, according to FBI officials.

A total of $310,000 in cash, 36 firearms, and three vehicles were seized. Roughly 600 grams of cocaine, one kilogram of methamphetamine, and one kilogram of fentanyl were also recovered during the operation.

At a press conference, Andrew Bailey, former Missouri attorney general and current co-deputy director of the FBI, mentioned St. Louis City's downward trend in violent crime and how this operation build momentum before summer.

"By getting the very worst of the worst offenders off the street in the spring, we hope to maintain the forward progress that we've enjoyed in the fight against violent crime,” Bailey said.

During Operation VIPER, officials said FBI agents worked closely with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department's Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team. The team arrested suspects accused of armed carjacking, first-degree assault and armed robbery in north St. Louis on three separate occasions.

"This is a commitment to making this area safer for a variety of reasons,” Missouri U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt said. “For the people who live here, for the reputation of this great American city, and for the economic prosperity that can follow from this."