141 people arrested, drugs and guns seized in Fort Worth operation, feds say

Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Nov 9, 2026

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FORT WORTH, Texas — A multiagency operation in Fort Worth that lasted more than two months led to the arrests of 141 people, the seizure of more than 60 kilograms of drugs and the recovery of 38 guns, officials said.

The charges faced by the suspects arrested during this operation include possession of a machine gun, escape from detention, narcotics distribution and illegal reentry into the United States, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.

“When bad actors bring illicit drugs, illegal firearms, traffic children and women, and insert violence into our neighborhoods, they threaten the quality of life of our Fort Worth families and residents. That is why we launched Operation New Day,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said during a news conference on Monday.

Raybould said 45 people were arrested on drug-related offenses and face charges of possession with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, primarily those dealing methamphetamine and fentanyl in and around Fort Worth.

The operation led to the seizure of 100 grams of fentanyl, over 22 kilograms of cocaine and over 45 kilograms of methamphetamine, he said.

Related to illegal guns, 15 people face federal charges with more to come, and 51 were arrested on charges related to illegal reentry after deportation, Raybould said.

“Operation New Day is just the start,” Raybould said during the news conference with local law enforcement. “I’m going to issue a healthy challenge to my folks up here with me, as well as myself, that we’re going after the gangs in Fort Worth.”

The federal charges mean the suspects would face severe federal sentences if convicted, while violent offenders pending trial could be detained with a high conviction rate, he said.

“While this was coined Operation New Day, we should be calling it Operation Every Day, because the U.S. Marshals Service and our partner agencies are out in the streets every single day, arresting violent felons and predators,” said Sean Malecha, acting U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Texas.

The 15 people who face gun charges include possession of firearms by convicted felons and unlawful possession of machine guns, Assistant Agent in Charge at the DEA Dallas Division Keith Rodriguez said.

“We want to remind the public of the dangers of machine gun conversion devices. These small devices transform a semiautomatic firearm into a machine gun,” Rodriguez said. “During Operation New Day, ATF seized 41 of those machine gun conversion devices. These weapons don’t just put innocent members of the public at risk. They create an extreme threat to law enforcement officers who respond to violent encounters, often with little warning and unpredictable circumstances.”

Multiple law enforcement organizations were a part of Operation New Day, which started in August, including the U.S. Marshals Service; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office; Fort Worth Police Department and the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office.

“While evil still walks boldly among us at times, we want our citizens to know that we will come together to mitigate, use intelligence, thwart their activity, and bring them to justice,” Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn said.

Other arrests included 10 people facing charges of violating national defense airspace, seven people facing charges of election and citizenship-related offenses, two people facing document fraud offenses involving unlawful possession of documents used as evidence of authorized stay or employment in the United States, one person facing charges of assaulting a federal officer, and one person facing charges of falsely representing himself as a U.S. citizen, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

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