End-of-Year Review: U.S. Marshals Arrest Over 73,000 Fugitives in 2025, Strengthening Public Safety Nationwide

Washington, DC – The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the first federal law enforcement agency in the United States, occupies a uniquely central position in the federal justice system. It is the enforcement arm of the federal courts and plays several crucial roles in the nation’s judicial process -- protecting judges, jurors, and witnesses; securing courthouses; apprehending fugitives; transporting prisoners; and executing court orders, acting as a critical link between law enforcement and the federal courts. The USMS provides security for court proceedings, manages seized criminal assets, and operates the Witness Security Program, safeguarding all participants in the justice system.

Presidentially appointed U.S. Marshals – one for each federal judicial district – direct the activities of 94 districts. Approximately 3,780 authorized Deputy U.S. Marshals and Criminal Investigators, and 1,666 authorized administrative employees and detention enforcement officers, form the backbone of the Agency.

“I’m extremely proud to lead the men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service who are working day and night in a vast array of missions and responsibilities that touch every aspect of this nation’s judicial process,” said USMS Director Gadyaces S. Serralta. “They keep the wheels of justice turning -- protecting judges and court officials and witnesses, housing and transporting prisoners, selling seized assets, apprehending dangerous fugitives and finding missing and endangered children. I am personally inspired by them every day and by their demonstrated commitment to these missions.”

Judicial Security

In the federal judicial process, the USMS is responsible for and empowered by statutes to protect approximately 30,300 federal prosecutors, federal judges, other court officials, witnesses, jurors, the visiting public, prisoners and other threatened people. The Agency oversees the daily operation and management of security services performed by approximately 6,000 Court Security Officers within the 94 U.S. District Courts and 12 Circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals. The USMS protects more than 800 active judicial facilities and approximately 2,700 judges. Criminal Investigators, Intelligence Analysts and other USMS employees assess, investigate, and mitigate threats against the judiciary 24/7. In 2025, the USMS investigated 807 threats and potential threats to protected persons.

Fugitive Apprehension

In 2025, the USMS arrested 73,323 fugitives, including 28,533 who were wanted on federal warrants and 44,790 on state and local warrants. On average, USMS personnel arrested 293 fugitives per operational day, demonstrating the Agency’s dedication to justice and community safety.

• Sex offenders – 10,371 (Sex offenses include sexual assault, failure to register/noncompliance with the national sex offender registry and other offenses.)
• Gang members – 6,627
• Homicide suspects – 4,954
• Transnational fugitives – 1,763
• Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program fugitives –1,050 (OCDETF cases combine the resources and expertise of numerous federal agencies to target drug trafficking and money laundering organizations.)
• Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act (AWA) violations – 343 (AWA categorizes sex offenders into a three-tiered system based on the crime committed and requires offenders to maintain their registration information accordingly. For example, Tier 3 offenders – the most serious – must update their whereabouts every 3 months with lifetime registration requirements.)
• The USMS seized more than 4,953 illegal firearms during numerous violence-reduction and counter gang operations in FY 2025.
• The total warrants* cleared by USMS arrest: 87,984.
• State and local warrants – 58,334
• Federal warrants – 29,650

*The number of warrants cleared nearly always exceeds the number of arrests in a given year because fugitives are often wanted on numerous warrants, and a single arrest can clear them all at once.

Major Operations

The Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force surge operation ended the year with more than 8,000 arrests and close to 800 firearms seized. The Task Force surge operation kicked off in early August at the direction of the President, with USMS Director Gadyaces S. Serralta leading the Task Force of more than 3,100 law enforcement and administrative personnel from 28 agencies. At the end of 2025, the Make DC Safe & Beautiful Task Force had arrested 8,187 violent fugitives, including 20 for homicide, 1,348 for narcotics, 644 for weapons offenses, 29 for sex offenses, and 48 known gang members. The Task Force has also recovered more than 16 missing children in the same period.

Launched in October, the Memphis Safe Task Force (MSTF) is a multi-agency initiative to combat violent crime in Memphis, Tennessee. Composed of federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as the Tennessee National Guard, the MSTF is focused on arresting violent criminals, clearing warrants, seizing firearms, and locating missing children. By the close of 2025, the MSTF had arrested 4,667 violent fugitives, seized 745 firearms, and safely located more than 132 children. Of those arrested, 24 were for homicide, 76 for sex offenses, 502 for controlled substances, and 460 were known gang members.

Notable Arrests in FY 2025

On October 29, 2025, three men were arrested in connection with the June 30 homicide of a Congressional intern in Washington, DC. On September 2, 2025, the Superior Court of the District of Columbia issued arrest warrants for Jailen Lucas, Kelvin Thomas Jr. and Naquan Thomas, charging each with first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), stemming from the homicide of 21-year-old Eric Tarpinian-Jachym. After Lucas and both Thomases were ultimately implicated as the primary suspects in the case, the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) requested assistance from the USMS to locate and arrest the subjects. On September 5, two simultaneous arrest operations were conducted. Task Force investigators, alongside members of the USMS Special Operations Group (SOG), responded to an apartment on North Capitol Street in Northwest DC, where Lucas was found and taken into custody without incident. Thomas Jr. was believed to be staying at a residence in the 2000 block of 24th Street in Northeast DC. Task Force Officers, SOG, and the U.S. Park Police SWAT Team arrived at the address, knocked on the front door and announced their presence. Thomas refused to come out until officers announced the presence of a USMS K9, at which point he emerged and was taken into custody without incident. Both individuals were transported to the MPD’s Homicide Branch for processing and held without bond. On October 29, Task Force investigators developed an address for Lucas in Montgomery Village, Maryland, and initiated a surveillance operation that morning. That evening investigators identified Lucas through a rear window of the residence, and Task Force Officers knocked and announced their presence. As announcements were being made at the front door, the perimeter team, including a USMS Tactical K9 (TK-9), announced that Lucas was in custody via TK-9 deployment. He had attempted to evade apprehension by escaping through the same window through which investigators had seen him earlier. Lucas was taken to a local hospital to be treated for his injuries and later
transported to the MPD’s Homicide Branch for processing.

On March 5, 2025, the USMS Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, working with the USMS New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force and assisted by the Winston-Salem Police Department and U.S. Immigration Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), arrested a high-ranking MS-13 member in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Josue Zepeda-Padilla, an illegal immigrant who eluded law enforcement officials for over a year, was one of seven alleged members of the MS-13 street gang indicted for a violent gang assault and kidnapping of a 15-year-old in New York, in which the defendants allegedly robbed, kidnapped, assaulted and left the victim unconscious in an abandoned building. The Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office charged Zepeda-Padilla with assault, kidnapping, and gang assault.

On March 20, 2025, a coordinated effort by the USMS Southeast Regional Task Force, USMS Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force, ICE, and the Chicago Police Department (CPD), led to the arrest of Ricardo Gonzales, 32, at a residence in Cobb County, Georgia. Gonzalez had a full extradition arrest warrant from the CPD for kidnapping and two counts of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder stemming from an incident that took place on January 28, 2025, in which Gonzalez allegedly kidnapped three women, took them to an alley and shot each of them in the head. Two victims were pronounced deceased on the scene and the surviving victim was able to escape and call 911. Gonzalez is known to be a high-ranking member of the Venezuelan street gang Tren De Aragua. During his arrest, five additional people were taken into custody and transferred to ICE-ERO facilities.

On March 31, 2025, the USMS Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, in coordination with the Southern District of West Virginia, the Eastern District of Kentucky, the District of South Carolina, and the USMS SOG, arrested Charles Ray Blevins, a West Virginia man wanted for a 2019 murder in Kentucky. Blevins, 38, was a USMS major case fugitive and was considered for elevation to the USMS 15 Most Wanted fugitives list. He was wanted for first-degree murder and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, as well as a parole violation. Blevins had been convicted of second-degree murder in Cabell County, West Virginia, in 2009 and released on parole in 2019. On July 6, 2019, he was accused of shooting and killing a man in South Williamson, Kentucky.

On October 8, 2025, the USMS, with special assistance from the Atlanta Police Department SWAT Team, arrested Derrick Groves in Atlanta, Georgia. Groves was wanted for aggravated escape out of Orleans Parish, Louisiana, stemming from a high-profile escape during which 10 inmates all escaped from a New Orleans, Louisiana, jail on May 16, 2025. Groves was convicted of second-degree murder in New Orleans, and by escaping, failed to appear for sentencing which carries the possibility of life in prison. Groves was the last remaining escapee on the run.

On October 14, 2025, the USMS Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested four men wanted on multiple charges in connection with an October 4, 2025, mass shooting. Kadarius Griggs, 19, Janando James, 23, Deandre Palmer, 19, and a 17-year-old juvenile, all members of the Dope Boys of America, were taken into custody from multiple locations in Montgomery, Alabama. The mass shooting incident that occurred resulted in 12 people injured and 2 people dead. Investigators concluded the shooting involved two local street gangs, Dope Boys of America and The Klann. The investigation determined there were at least eight different shooters who fired a total of 63 rounds.

On October 22, 2025, the MSTF responded to reports of a shooting in the 1600 block of Helsley Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Upon arrival, officers located a female victim who was pronounced deceased on the scene. One officer sustained a non-critical injury from a dog bite and was transported to the hospital. A second officer was assaulted by a female who unlawfully entered the active crime scene and struck the officer while being escorted out. She was taken into custody without further incident. Task Force members returned to the residence after identifying a male relative as a possible suspect. Inside the residence, officers discovered a second deceased individual who appeared to be partially dismembered. The suspect has since been charged with one count of first-degree murder, one count of second degree murder, and one count of attempted murder on another victim at a different location.

Finding Missing Children

The USMS supports the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s (NCMEC) mission to protect children from victimization. The USMS investigative skillset provides a highly refined, unique ability to assist federal, state, and local partners in recovering our communities’ most vulnerable children and return them to safe guardianship.

The USMS Middle District of Florida, in conjunction with a vast array of partners, led a missing child operation in June 2025 that resulted in the recovery or safe location of 60 critically missing children from across Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Pasco counties. Operation Dragon Eye was the product of a multidisciplinary Task Force comprised of federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as social service entities, the medical community, and non-governmental organizations planning and executing a 2-week initiative geared to recover or safely locate the most critically missing youth. Operation Dragon Eye resulted in eight arrests, including charges of human trafficking, child endangerment, narcotics possession, and custodial interference.

The USMS Northern District of Florida, in conjunction with numerous law enforcement partners, led a missing child operation in December 2025 that resulted in the recovery and/or safe location of 43 critically missing children from 14 counties across North Florida. Operation Northern Lights was a 2-week initiative geared to recover or safely locate the most critically missing youth. Over 80 personnel from 25 different agencies including law enforcement, social services, federal and state attorney’s offices, and non-profits worked together to bring these children home. This operation had three primary objectives: recover critically missing youth; provide them with essential services including appropriate placement; and deter criminal activity related to exploiting the vulnerabilities of missing children. Northern Lights resulted in nine arrests and included recoveries potentially leading to additional future charges of human trafficking, child endangerment, and custodial interference. During this operation, endangered children missing from North Florida were recovered not only locally, but also in other states including Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

On May 7, 2025, the USMS in the Western District of North Carolina recovered a Roseville, Michigan, teen who was reported missing on April 20, 2025, and arrested a person of interest in her disappearance. Roseville police obtained CCTV footage from a local gas station showing the teen purchasing a bottle of water before exiting the store. Investigators developed information that the child, deemed by the agency to be critically missing and endangered, was possibly with a person of interest they believed had come from North Carolina to Michigan and picked up the girl. Investigators then developed information that the person of interest was at an extended stay motel in Raleigh, North Carolina. Working with members of the Raleigh Police Department, USMS personnel went to the motel and arrested the person of interest, who was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The teens recovered safely.

On September 20, 2025, the USMS, working with the NCMEC, recovered a child who was reported missing in Rochester, New York, on September 11, 2025. The child was found near Chicago, Illinois, in the company of two adult men who were in the country illegally. Security camera video revealed three individuals met the girl near her home and left in a light-colored SUV with her. USMS personnel in Rochester, working with the local NCMEC office, developed information that the child had traveled to the Chicago area and sent a collateral lead to USMS in the Northern District of Illinois. The USMS recovered the missing child at an apartment complex in Blue Island, Illinois. The child was in the company of an 18-year-old male and his father. ICE determined the two adult men were in the U.S. illegally.

Asset Forfeiture

The USMS serves as the primary custodian of seized property for the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Program, whose mission is to use asset forfeiture as a tool to deter, disrupt, and dismantle criminal enterprises by depriving criminals of the instruments of illicit activity. The USMS identifies and evaluates assets, and manages and disposes of most of the assets seized and forfeited through the Program. The USMS manages a wide array of assets, including real estate, commercial businesses, cash, financial instruments, vehicles, jewelry, art, antiques, collectibles, vessels and aircraft. Proceeds generated from asset sales are used to operate the Program, compensate victims and support various law enforcement efforts. In FY 2025, the USMS disposed of 12,381 assets, distributing $475 million to victims of crime and claimants, and sharing $602 million with participating law enforcement agencies. In September 2025, the USMS successfully sold the seized Russian oligarch superyacht, the Amadea, valued at more than $300 million, in a sealed-bid auction to an undisclosed buyer. The sale marked a major step in the U.S. effort to confiscate assets from sanctioned oligarchs and sent a strong message about the consequences of evading international sanctions.

Prisoner Operations

The USMS is responsible for preserving the integrity of the federal judicial process by overseeing all detention management matters for individuals remanded to USMS custody. The USMS provides safe, secure and humane custody, housing, medical care and transportation for federal prisoners throughout the U.S. and its territories. After individuals arrested for federal offenses are brought before a U.S. magistrate or U.S. district court judge for their initial court appearances, the court determines whether prisoners are released on bond or remanded to USMS custody to await trial. The USMS does not own or operate detention facilities, but partners with state and local governments using intergovernmental agreements to house prisoners. Additionally, the USMS houses prisoners in the Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities and private detention facilities. The total average daily detention population is 55,233.

Prisoner Transportation

The USMS Justice Prisoner Air Transportation System (JPATS) manages the coordination, scheduling, and secure handling of prisoners in federal custody, transporting them to detention facilities, courts, and correctional institutions via a network of aircraft, buses, vans, and cars. In FY2025, JPATS conducted 308,669 federal prisoner movements.

Witness Security

The USMS operates the federal Witness Security Program (WSP), providing for the security, safety, and health of government witnesses and their authorized family members, whose lives are in danger because of their cooperation with the U.S. government.

Witnesses and their families typically get new identities with documentation. Since the Program began in 1971, the WSP has successfully protected almost 19,300 participants from intimidation and retribution.