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Fort Bend County's anti-gang initiative has yielded nearly 100 arrests and the confiscation of multiple drugs and weapons, according to reports from Houston-based media outlets. County officials held a press conference Tuesday (March 29) to discuss the law enforcement operation, which is called Operation Multi-Agency Reinforcement Gang Operation (MARGO).
The Fort Bend County District Attorney's Office said authorities arrested 93 people in the county and parts of Harris County, Houston CBS affiliate KHOU reported. According to Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton, 28 of those apprehensions were those of wanted fugitives.
"Gang members in our community, your time is up!" Middleton said, according to Houston ABC affiliate KTRK.
According to KHOU, the operation caught 11 gang members.
Fort Bend County Chief Prosecutor Mark Hanna said that each of those suspects came from a different gang.
"I want to thank the agencies for their effort and their hard work in getting this done," Hanna said, the station reported. "And I want to let those agencies know that just because the arrests have been made doesn't mean that our efforts are over, because we'll still handle these cases appropriately in the courtroom and hold them responsible for their criminal actions."
Houston NBC affiliate KPRC reported that officers from various Houston-area law enforcement agencies assisted Fort Bend County with the effort.
Operation MARGO's goal was to detect street-level criminal activity, identify gang members and collect criminal intelligence data, according to the station.
“As district attorney I am not content with simply responding to crime that’s already committed. I have committed my office to be proactive; going out and pursuing criminals and making sure that we arrest them and prosecute them," Middleton said, KPRC reported. "And particularly with gangs, we are going to seek to hold them accountable as organized criminal enterprises and that means holding every single gang member responsible for the activities of their organization.”
Fort Bend County gang investigator Damaris Arce said a cadre of gang members are still in school, KTRK reported.
"A lot of our gangs tend to, unfortunately, they tend to start in the schools," the official said, the station reported.
The Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD); however, refuted the assertion.
"We have no evidence or data suggesting Fort Bend ISD schools are the source of any significant gang presence or activity," FBISD said in a statement. "The district and its police department believe prevention is key so we educate our students and equip them with the skills and knowledge they need to avoid making harmful decisions."
FBISD added that it offers "an abundance of enrichment opportunities and after-school activities" to help students feel that they have a position connection to their schools and peers.