More than 500 law enforcement officers fanned out across Blytheville, Mississippi County and the Missouri Bootheel Tuesday morning for “Operation Blynd Justice”
BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. — More than 500 law enforcement officers fanned out across Blytheville, Mississippi County and the Missouri Bootheel Tuesday morning for “Operation Blynd Justice.”
Military-style vehicles rolled through Blytheville on Tuesday and hundreds of federal agents dressed in body armor and carrying automatic weapons could be seen. They left no doubt something big was going on.
“I never seen so many FBI agents in my life. I never seen so many U.S. Marshals and all these police,” Blytheville resident Mary Thomas said. “I never seen that in my life.”
The federal agents were looking to serve 70 warrants for possession of illegal drugs and firearms. The operation hopes to stop the drug and gun violence happening in the area.
Agents said these people are violent and have ties all over the Mid-South.
The multiagency operation called Operation Blynd Justice was 18 months in the planning and targeted illegal drug and firearms activity especially in Blytheville and Mississippi County.
The agents purchased or seized 89 illegally possessed guns, many of which had been reported stolen, Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas Chris Thyer said.
Agents also purchased nearly $1 million worth of meth and crack cocaine.
The operation was so large agents needed three parking lots for staging. One of them was at the Department of Homeland Security office where Goswell resident Cari Glass had an appointment but no place to park.
“The parking lot was filled with a bunch of police cars,” Glass said. “I saw a tank for a minute. I’m not sure what these cars are, but it just looked like an army or something.”
Source: Multiagency operation targets drugs, guns in Blytheville
