Federal, state, and local authorities in New Jersey have arrested 264 fugitives as part of an ongoing law enforcement initiative known as “Operation Apex Hammer,” targeting violent offenders across the state.
Among those taken into custody are suspects wanted for serious crimes, including murder, robbery, kidnapping, and sexual offenses—some involving children.
BREAKING: 264 wanted criminals arrested in New Jersey as part of Operation Apex hammer, led by US Attorney Alina Habba and US Marshal Juan Mattos Jr – NYP
This INCLUDES:
– 17 homicide suspects
– 95 gang members
– Others wanted for s*xual or serious violent offenses
– Illegal… pic.twitter.com/ATFPr6gpzV— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) July 5, 2025
Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?
MORE NEWS: RFK Jr.’s HHS Overhauls Vaccine Policy, Votes to Ban Controversial Ingredient in Flu Shots [WATCH]
Officials confirmed that at least two of the individuals arrested were illegal immigrants wanted for sex crimes.
In total, the suspects had accumulated more than 2,600 prior arrests, averaging approximately ten each, according to law enforcement officials.
This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year
The operation was announced by U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos Jr. and Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, who praised the coordinated effort between federal, state, and local agencies.
“We are doing multiple cases at once to make sure that we clean up as quickly as possible,” Habba told Fox News in June.
“You can run, but you cannot hide.”@USMarshalsHQ in New Jersey are working with @USAttyHabba to arrest dozens of dangerous criminals as part of ‘Operation Apex Hammer.’
MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/jpaQ3331on
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) June 5, 2025
“Violent crime is number one. It is very clear from this administration. That is all we’re focused on.”
Of the 264 individuals arrested, 17 were wanted for homicide, and 95 were identified as known gang members. Authorities noted that several others were fugitives accused of various serious violent and sexual offenses.
One of the arrested individuals was 54-year-old Lorenzo Benitez, an illegal immigrant from Guatemala, who was taken into custody on June 4 in Plainfield, New Jersey.
Law enforcement officials stated that Benitez is facing multiple counts of sexual assault in Keansburg.
Another individual, 25-year-old Darlin Franco-Guzman, an illegal immigrant from Honduras, was arrested on June 10 in Trenton.
Franco-Guzman was wanted in Baltimore County, Maryland, for burglary and the attempted sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl.
The roundup also included suspects charged with a wide array of other crimes.
Stephen Bullock, 32, was arrested on June 13 on charges of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 76-year-old woman in Camden County.
Shawn Davis, 38, was apprehended in Brooklyn and charged in connection with a 2024 homicide in Trenton.
In another case, authorities arrested Luis Duval-Jimenez, 31, who had been sought for allegedly running over a police officer in South Brunswick in May.
On June 19, 20-year-old Trasuf Bennett and an unnamed juvenile were arrested for their alleged involvement in the drive-by shooting murder of a 20-year-old man in Millville, New Jersey.
Authorities also captured Francisco Ruiz, 67, in Bayonne on June 20.
He was wanted for multiple charges, including sexual assault by contact, terroristic threats, criminal restraint, and endangering the welfare of a child.
As part of the operation, officers recovered 14 illegal firearms.
Operation Apex Hammer is part of a broader federal initiative to tackle violent crime by coordinating across jurisdictions and agencies.
MORE NEWS: Donald Trump to Unleash Multiple Trade Announcements Within 48 Hours: Scott Bessent [WATCH]
The arrests, made over the span of several weeks in June, involved cooperation from the U.S. Marshals Service, state and local police departments, and other federal partners.
The operation remains ongoing as law enforcement officials continue efforts to track down additional fugitives throughout the state.
Celebrate Summer with this LIMITED EDITION Grizzly Trump Cooler! Exclusively on Mammoth Nation.
The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of LifeZette. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.
Join the Discussion
COMMENTS POLICY: We have no tolerance for messages of violence, racism, vulgarity, obscenity or other such discourteous behavior. Thank you for contributing to a respectful and useful online dialogue.
So a combined total of more than 2,600 arrests for 264 individuals or about 100 arrests EACH!
Justice is a concept only in the mind now days, only in our minds.
What justice really is, is controlled by a ratio that is directly related to the size of your bank account and how much JUSTICE you can afford to pay for.
That’s why rich people can introduce scientific evidence to a jury and a poor man can’t, the poor man can’t pay for it! Same crime, same circumstances, different sized bank accounts!
PROVE ME WRONG!
ok first thing you’re wrong about is 264 x 100 is 264,000 not 2,600 which would be 10 arrests each. Second, as is clearly reported, these miscreants are accused and likely guilty of a myriad of crimes, but until the Bidumb Admin was replaced, they got a free pass to run amok. Now they are arrested and awaiting trial. That is called Justice. While it is true that the wealthy can afford better lawyers, plenty of rich people get sent to jail too. It is highly unlikely that a review of arrests and prosecutions would find that the rich commit the same crimes as the poor. In some cases, yes. Drunk driving, drug use and so on. But your rant is not really about Justice, it’s about socialism and social justice (which is a con game). Why not be honest?
You are right all across the board, except your initial Maths ;)
264 X 100 = 26,400 ( correct me if I’m wrong – I am rather old and “long in the tooth”, as they say ;) )
Plato mkII – Firstly your maths is way off – its about 10 arrests each – which is far more than acceptable in a civilised society. Then – your pseudo-socialist rant – Oh Dear, we HAVE got them in a twist – haven’t we ! These silly allegations could be levelled at several foreign states, but America ? Come off it and get real. Lawyers are twenty to a dozen here and “The State” goes head over heels to make sure they ALL have a VERY nice income from our delinquent population ( illegals included ) There are enough bleeding hearts in the media alone to ensure everyone who is even vaguely entitled gets his/her day in court.