Operation Stampede Successfully Concludes Violent Crime Reduction Initiative Across Eastern Washington

Spokane, WA - The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane Valley Police Department and the United States Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force have successfully concluded Operation Stampede, a six-month violent crime reduction initiative conducted from March 2 through September 11, 2026.

Operation Stampede focused on locating and arresting violent fugitives, disrupting gang activity, targeting repeat offenders, and addressing firearm-related crime and narcotics trafficking throughout the Eastern District of Washington, with a primary focus on Spokane, Spokane Valley, Spokane County, Yakima, and Yakima County.

In Spokane County and Spokane Valley, Operation Stampede resulted in 100 arrests and the seizure of 42 firearms.

As part of the broader initiative, the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office and Yakima Police Department concluded Operation Stampede: Yakima Surge, a week-long violent crime reduction initiative conducted May 3-8, 2026. The Yakima Surge focused on locating and arresting violent fugitives, gang members, and sex offenders throughout Yakima and Yakima County. Coordinated enforcement efforts resulted in the arrest of 28 individuals.

Across the Eastern District of Washington, Operation Stampede and related enforcement activity resulted in more than 293 fugitives arrested, 88 of those arrests were gang members or gang associates, 336 warrants were cleared, 55 firearms were recovered, $2,517,378 dollars and approximately 455 pounds of narcotics were seized.

Operation Stampede also supported the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) mission by providing coordinated enforcement, fugitive apprehension, intelligence sharing, and investigative support related to transnational criminal activity.

The U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force supported HSTF investigations led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the United States Attorney Office. These efforts supported the broader mission of disrupting and dismantling criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations operating in the Eastern District of Washington and throughout the United States.

Craig Thayer, the United States Marshal for the Eastern District of Washington commented “Most multi-agency operations are much shorter than the six-month ‘Operation Stampede’ violent crime reduction timeline.  I would like to complement all the partner agencies’ leadership teams for their long-term support and participation.  Additionally, on behalf of the United States Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force I would like to give recognition to all the law enforcement officers, prosecutors and analysts who worked the cases and safely made the arrests to bring these violent offenders to face justice in court.  Our community’s safety benefits greatly because of these cooperative operations.”

Spokane County Sheriff John Nowels said, “I can’t say enough positive words about our partnership with the U.S. Marshals Office in Operation Stampede. In our region, we rely on partnerships to hold our most dangerous offenders accountable and bring them to justice. Every participating agency and office in this operation brought manpower and unique skillsets to bear in removing dangerous criminals from Spokane streets. The numbers speak for themselves, and Spokane is a safer community because of this operation and the work done by dedicated law enforcement professionals.”

Spokane County Prosecutor Preston McCollam said, “Strong law enforcement collaboration is critical for safe and healthy communities.

I’m incredibly grateful for the ongoing collaboration with the U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force. I’ve been privileged to work alongside an incredible team. These steadfast partnerships have made a significant impact on violent crime and dangerous criminal activity in our community.

Operation Stampede is a great example of what these partnerships can accomplish. No fanfare, no politics, and no nonsense—just law enforcement, prosecutors, and community partners working together to put dangerous offenders behind bars.

Our communities can thrive when violent criminal networks are disrupted, and gang violence is reduced. They thrive when sexual predators and child molesters are behind bars. The brave men and women involved in this operation give law-abiding families the opportunity to live, work, and raise their children without fear. Our communities deserve to be safe, and it’s through partnerships like Operation Stampede that we can disrupt violent crime, sexual predators, and bring dangerous offenders to justice.”

Chief Dave Ellis of the Spokane Valley Police Department said, “Operation Stampede demonstrates what can be accomplished when local and federal agencies unite around a shared commitment to public safety. The Spokane Valley Police Department is proud to work alongside the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and U.S. Marshals Service to locate and apprehend dangerous wanted offenders. This operation sends a clear message: individuals who commit serious crimes and attempt to evade justice will be pursued, and our agencies will continue working together to keep our communities safe.”

“The United States Attorney’s Office is proud to partner with our tribal, state and federal agencies in this operation,” stated First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano.  “Working side-by-side in this operation, we leveraged our collective expertise, resources, and authority to protect the public more effectively than any one agency could alone. Through these joint operations we reflect our commitment to justice, our responsibility to uphold the law, and our shared dedication to safeguarding every neighborhood by removing several of the worst offenders from our streets. We’ve removed hundreds of fugitives, hundreds of pounds of drugs, dozens of firearms, and millions of dollars that would be spent on crime. I’m proud of this team and our work to clean up the streets, making them safer for law abiding citizens.”

The operation brought together federal, state, local, and tribal agencies to share intelligence, coordinate enforcement activity, and focus resources on violent offenders and gang members throughout Eastern Washington. The U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force and partner agencies remains committed to working together to apprehend violent fugitives, uphold the rule of law, and protect our communities throughout Eastern Washington.

Operation Stampede included participation and support from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); FBI Spokane Safe Streets Task Force; Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Spokane County Sheriff’s Office; Spokane Valley Police Department; Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office; Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Real Time Crime Center (RTCC); Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Regional Anti Violence Enforcement and Narcotics Task Force (RAVEN); United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington; United States Probation Office for the Eastern District of Washington; U.S. Border Patrol (USBP); Washington State Department of Corrections - Community Response Units (CRU); Washington State Patrol; Yakima County Sheriff’s Office; and Yakima Police Department.

The Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is a U.S. Marshals-led partnership comprising federal, state, and local law enforcement officers from Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. The task force’s primary mission is to locate, arrest and return to the justice system the most violent and egregious federal and state fugitives.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest U.S. Marshals office, the U.S. Marshals Service Communications Center at 1-800-336-0102, or submit a tip via email to usmstips@usdoj.gov.