Operation Legend: Update on Federal Charges

           ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - On July 8, Attorney General William P. Barr announced the launch of Operation Legend, a sustained, systematic and coordinated law enforcement initiative in which federal law enforcement agencies work in conjunction with state and local law enforcement officials to fight violent crime. The initiative is named in honor of four-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while he slept early in the morning of June 29 in Kansas City. 

           The operation was expanded to Albuquerque on July 22. Since the operation’s expansion through Monday, Aug. 31, 35 defendants have been charged with federal crimes. Among the charges brought under Operation Legend in Albuquerque to date are:

                -8 defendants charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances

                -9 defendants charged with distribution of controlled substances

                -16 defendants charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance

                -10 defendants charged with being in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking

                -19 defendants charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm

                -4 defendants charged with being in possession of a stolen firearm

                -5 defendants charged with Hobbs Act violations

                -1 defendant charged with carjacking

                -1 defendant charged with re-entry of a removed alien

                -2 defendants charged with brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime

                -1 defendant charged with discharging a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime

                -1 defendant charged with brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime

                -1 defendant charged with maintaining a drug-involved premises

           “The goal of Operation Legend in Albuquerque is to achieve a sustained reduction in gun and other dangerous crimes,” said John C. Anderson, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. “By coordinating federal resources with state and local law enforcement, we’ve been able to identify, apprehend and prosecute individuals driving dangerous crime in the city. We can see from the charges brought under Operation Legend that we have been effective in meeting our objectives and we intend to continue this trend. I want to express my appreciation to our partnering agencies for their exceptional efforts to achieve our successes to date.”