Federal and local authorities arrested 44 people in Nashville, Tennessee, following a five-day operation targeting alleged illegal firearms sales and drug trafficking that resulted in the seizure of more than 160 guns, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine.
The enforcement effort, dubbed Operation "Last Call," took place from Aug. 19 through Aug. 23 and involved the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, or ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, all 44 people were taken into custody on federal indictments. The charges include alleged drug distribution, illegal firearms dealing, possession of firearms by convicted felons, possession of machine-gun conversion devices and using or possessing guns in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes.
Authorities said the investigation focused on areas identified through a three-year review of shots-fired calls, shooting crimes and ballistic evidence collected through the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN. Undercover agents made controlled purchases of firearms and narcotics in several Nashville neighborhoods during the months-long investigation.
Officials seized more than 160 firearms, including rifles described as assault-style weapons with high-capacity magazines. Investigators also recovered multiple illegal conversion devices, often called "switches," which can turn certain semi-automatic pistols into fully automatic weapons.
The operation also removed more than two kilograms of methamphetamine, over one kilogram of fentanyl and more than half a kilogram of powder cocaine and crack cocaine from circulation, according to federal prosecutors.
"This operation resulted in the indictments and arrests of dozens of individuals who have been illegally selling firearms and dangerous drugs like fentanyl, methamphetamine, and crack on the streets of Nashville," U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek said in a statement. He described the investigation as a months-long collaboration between federal and local agencies.
Twenty-seven of the 44 defendants had prior felony convictions, authorities said. Those prior offenses included aggravated assault, attempted aggravated robbery, firearm possession by a felon, aggravated burglary and narcotics trafficking. Ten defendants were already on probation, parole, supervised release or bond when the alleged offenses occurred.
Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said investigators concentrated on locations where data pointed to elevated levels of violent crime, including the Harding Place and Interstate 24 corridor, the Bell Road-Murfreesboro Pike area, the Brick Church Pike-Trinity Lane corridor and the Napier-Sudekum neighborhood.
"The guns seized, totaling more than 150, will not be part of a future homicide, robbery or shooting incident," Drake said, adding that residents in the targeted communities "deserve peaceful surroundings."
ATF Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet said the seizure of illegal weapons and narcotics could help prevent violence, while crediting the operation to cooperation between the ATF, Nashville police, U.S. Marshals and federal prosecutors.
Local station WSMV reported that the defendants will now face their federal cases in court.
