Memphis Task Force Announces 13,140 Arrests

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) announced that in its first year, the Memphis Safe Task Force made 13,140 arrests, with the city’s serious crime rate registering a notable decline.

Since the task force began its work on Sept. 29 last year, robberies in Memphis have declined by 47 percent, murders have fallen by 37 percent, sexual assaults are down 30 percent, and aggravated assault has declined by 29 percent, USMS said in a Sept. 29 statement. Overall, serious crimes have decreased by almost 38 percent.

The task force was established by President Donald Trump on Sept. 15, 2025, through a presidential memorandum.

The memo stated that Memphis was suffering from “tremendous levels of violent crime,” which had overwhelmed the ability of the local government to effectively respond to such incidents. The task force’s objective is to end violent and street crime in Memphis “to the greatest possible extent,” the memorandum said.

Among the total arrests under the task force, 1,406 were related to controlled substances, 1,303 for firearms violations, 135 for homicides, and 125 for sex offenses, USMS said. Moreover, officers arrested a total of 1,461 known gang members.

Arrested individuals include a 36-year-old charged with first-degree murder, a 52-year-old with a state warrant for sexual battery and rape of a child, and a 19-year-old who has been indicted for child-related sex crimes, USMS said.

“The success of this operation shows the relentless dedication that every member of the task force has tirelessly worked to investigate and apprehend the most violent, dangerous fugitives,” Gadyaces S. Serralta, USMS Director, said in the statement.

“When law enforcement partners work together, the impact is exponential. The Memphis Safe Task Force is proof that the whole-of-government approach works,” Serralta said.

Meanwhile, multiple Trump administration officials are facing a lawsuit filed by four Memphis residents in May, alleging that task force agents engaged in retaliatory action and harassment.

The plaintiffs claim they faced such actions while engaging in information-gathering and recording of task force activities, which they argued were constitutionally protected.

In the same month, plaintiffs filed for a preliminary injunction to enjoin the defendant officials from retaliating against them for gathering information about the task force or for recording their activities.

“Recording publicly visible law enforcement activity is a core First Amendment right,” Scarlet Kim, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union’s (ACLU) Speech, Privacy, and Technology Project, said in a Sept. 23 statement.

A federal district court heard arguments in the case last week, according to the ACLU.

In a July 6 filing opposing the request for a preliminary injunction, federal defendants, including Attorney General Todd Blanche and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, argued that the plaintiffs are unlikely to prevail on their First Amendment claims.

Declarations made by the plaintiffs show that their activities have involved efforts to interfere and impede law enforcement operations, the defendants said, adding that such interference and obstruction of law enforcement operations is not protected speech.

“Plaintiffs’ requested injunction is substantially unworkable and overbroad,” the federal government attorneys wrote. The terms of the injunction “prohibit a host of lawful law enforcement conduct, and thereby violate the separation of powers.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice announced in an Oct. 1 statement that three members of Unknown Vice Lords, a violent Memphis street gang, have been sentenced to prison for firearms violations and attempted murder.

Members of Unknown Vice Lords have carried out assaults, murders, and drug trafficking on behalf of the gang, according to the department.

The three sentenced individuals are linked to an attack on rival gang members in 2020, the department said. They were sentenced to more than 42 years in prison.

“The days of criminal gangs controlling the streets of Memphis are over,” U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee said in the statement.

“If you are a member of a criminal gang committed to a lifestyle of lawlessness, no matter your rank, role, or nickname—your days are numbered.”