US Marshals Arrest 74,222 Fugitives in 2024, Including 5,337 Murder Suspects

Marshals take a suspect into custody in Philadelphia on Oct. 23, 2023. United States Marshals Service via AP

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) has announced that it had arrested more than 74,000 fugitives over the course of the 2024 fiscal year, many wanted for violent offenses, including more than 5,000 individuals taken into custody on murder charges.

In a year-end operational update released on Jan. 2, the agency said it had apprehended 74,222 fugitives, with a particular focus on individuals accused of violent crimes such as homicide, sexual assault, and armed robbery. The arrests included 28,706 individuals wanted on federal warrants and 45,516 on state and local charges, with 5,337 of the arrested fugitives wanted for murder.

“These figures are not just statistics—they are a reflection of the tireless work of our men and women to bring fugitives to justice,” USMS Director Ronald L. Davis said in a statement. “Every arrest contributes to safer communities and demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting the public.”

Three individuals on the agency’s 15-most-wanted list were arrested in fiscal year 2024. This included the apprehension of Ladarrius Rhaheem Fantroy, who was wanted by Alabama authorities for burglary, kidnapping, and murder. During the commission of the crime, Fantroy and an associate allegedly shot and killed a 10-year-old boy and the boyfriend of the child’s mother and kidnapped an 8-year-old girl, the agency said.

The agency reported that in addition to homicide suspects, nearly 10,000 sex offenders were among those taken into custody, including individuals charged with failure to register offenses and sexual assault.

Another 6,623 apprehended individuals were identified as gang members, with various violence reduction and counter-gang operations leading to the seizure of more than 5,000 illegally possessed firearms and hundreds of pounds of illicit drugs. The USMS highlighted its efforts to dismantle organized crime networks, often in partnership with local and federal law enforcement agencies. More than 1,000 fugitives were arrested by a joint task force focused on countering money laundering and drug trafficking operations by gangs and organized crime syndicates, including ones that operate internationally.

A centerpiece of the agency’s 2024 efforts was Operation North Star, a months-long initiative focusing on violent offenders in 10 high-crime metropolitan areas. The operation, conducted from May to September, led to the arrests of 3,421 fugitives, including 216 individuals charged with murder, 803 with assault, and 482 with weapons offenses. The initiative also resulted in the seizure of 534 firearms and significant quantities of narcotics, including more than 550,000 fentanyl pills, underscoring the intersection between violent crime and drug trafficking.

The USMS also highlighted its work in tracking and apprehending fugitives wanted internationally, with 1,743 foreign nationals captured in the United States on charges ranging from violent crimes to organized drug trafficking.

Over the course of fiscal year 2024, the agency also assisted in the location or recovery of 706 missing children. Since the passage of the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act in 2015, which enhanced USMS’s authority to more effectively address cases involving endangered children, the agency has contributed to the recovery of more than 3,967 missing children.