US Marshals Arrested Over 84,000 Fugitives in 2021, Up More Than 200% From 2020

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), the oldest federal law enforcement agency, reported a staggering 84,247 apprehensions of fugitives in the fiscal year 2021, more than three times the arrests made in 2020. 

Of the 84,247 USMS arrests, more than 10,000 were sex offenders and over 6,000 were homicide suspects. 

“The outstanding work this year by the U.S. Marshals Service exemplifies that the Department of Justice has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco in a press release. “At a time of unprecedented challenges posed by a global pandemic, the U.S. Marshals continue to deliver on their mission, tracking down and arresting more than 84,000 fugitives. The Department of Justice, through our law enforcement components like the U.S. Marshals Service, will continue to prioritize our efforts to reduce violent crime and keep our neighborhoods safe.”

The USMS also arrested a fugitive on the “15 Most Wanted” list. In October 2021, Marshals arrested Jory Worthen, an Arkansas man accused of murdering his girlfriend and 4-year-old son in June 2019. “The investigation led to Burbank, California, where Worthen was located and arrested after a short foot pursuit,” the DOJ said. “He was extradited back to Arkansas where, in September, Worthen accepted a plea deal that includes never being eligible for parole. As part of the agreement, Worthen pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder. He is serving two concurrent life sentences.”

The USMS established the 15 Most Wanted Fugitive Program in 1983 “to prioritize the investigation and apprehension of high-profile offenders considered to be some of the country’s most dangerous fugitives – typically career criminals with histories of violence who pose a significant threat to public safety and have remained on the lam for months or years.” 

The large increase in USMS apprehensions follows the trend of rising crime across the U.S. On Monday, The Daily Wire reported that Chicago recorded 797 homicides in 2021, which was 25 more than 2020 and 299 more than 2019. 

In December, ABC News reported that 12 major cities in the U.S. set annual homicide records in 2021. The dozen cities featured in the ABC News report on Wednesday included Portland, Oregon; St. Paul, Minnesota; Indianapolis, Indiana; Toledo, Ohio; Rochester, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Austin, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

According to the DOJ, USMS also apprehended 6,240 gang members and 1,239 foreign fugitives. Over 99,000 warrants were cleared by the law enforcement agency, 64,565 being state and local warrants and 35,042 being federal warrants. “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,” the DOJ clarified.

“I want to thank the men and women of the U.S. Marshals Service for their continued commitment and dedication to public safety,” said Director Ronald Davis of the U.S. Marshals Service. “Their steadfast courage and selfless service in bringing fugitives to justice and in protecting our judicial process help to make all of our communities safer and is critical in preserving our democracy.”

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