Operation “Clean House” Nets Dozens of Arrests By Multi-Agency Teams in Ventura County
Ventura County – Dozens of alleged felons wanted in Ventura County were arrested during the month of May by teams of FBI Agents, Police Officers, and Deputy Sheriffs as part of “Operation Clean House,” an FBI initiative to conduct pre-planned, concentrated enforcement operations targeting fugitives with outstanding felony arrest warrants with an emphasis on warrants related to violent crimes and unlawful firearm possession.
The operation was carried out in two parts. Over the past several months, the joint agencies conducted records checks on existing felony warrant entries. Working with the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI researched and assessed approximately 2600 felony warrants from Ventura County issued over the past ten years. The research flagged nearly 100 warrants for individuals who were either deceased or were candidates for removal from warrant databases. Following their research, the joint agency team selected and targeted subjects believed to be located within Ventura County who had active arrest warrants involving serious felony crimes to include violent felonies and firearms-related crimes, among others.
Secondly, the joint agencies carried out a week-long surveillance and arrest operation, focusing on the most violent fugitives at large within Ventura County. In total, 26 individuals were arrested on outstanding felony warrants for alleged violations including assault with a deadly weapon, crimes against children, corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant, and various firearms-related felony crimes. An additional nine people were arrested based on probable cause. Various firearms and narcotics were recovered during the operation and a large amount of intelligence was passed on to law enforcement outside of Ventura County for investigative follow up.
Six arrest teams with representation from the FBI, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, the Oxnard Police Department and the Ventura Police Department carried out the operation. Within each of the participating agencies, the following entities assisted with the lead up and execution of the operation:
- Ventura County Sheriff’s Office:
- Special Crimes Unit
- West County Special Enforcement Unit
- Thousand Oaks Special Enforcement Unit
- Camarillo Special Enforcement Unit
- Ventura County FOCUS
- Narcotics Street Team
- Organized Retail Theft Task Force
- Oxnard Police Department:
- Violent Crimes Unit
- Drug Enforcement Unit
- Special Enforcement Unit & SWAT
- Ventura Police Department:
- Street Crimes Unit
The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute the Ventura County defendants. The Ventura County Office of Emergency Services also provided assistance during the operation.
Operation Clean House was led by the FBI’s Ventura County Violent Crime Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Oxnard Police Department, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, and the Ventura Police Department. Law enforcement partners at the state, local and federal level continue to target violent crime and firearm-related violence within Ventura County as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Initiative.
All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
