75 arrested so far in Bay Area gun and drugs sweep

Federal and local authorities arrested more than 75 people around the Bay Area in recent months as part of a sweeping operation against suspects linked to a variety of gun and drug charges, officials announced Thursday.

The series of busts, dubbed Operation Cold Day, led to federal charges for 42 of the defendants and scores of charges in local and state courts, officials with the U.S. attorney’s office said at an afternoon news conference at San Francisco Police Department headquarters.

The operation resulted in a total of 115 arrest warrants. Officials said some suspects remain at large and that the investigation is continuing.

“This week, we took a key preemptive step in our battle against violent crime,” U.S. Attorney Brian Stretch said. “By pooling the resources of the federal government with those of our state and local law enforcement partners, scores of weapons that we allege were illegally possessed and sold now have been taken off the streets.”

Stretch said the investigation, which started in summer 2015, was launched to “combat street and midlevel criminals who often evade prosecution.” He said some of those arrested are gang members.

Many of the law enforcement officers in the operation went undercover, and Stretch described their work as “high-risk activity.”

The defendants, who were mostly charged in separate indictments, face charges including possessing illegal firearms, illegally selling firearms, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing and selling methamphetamine, and conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine base.

The raids were spearheaded by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which worked with prosecutors and police agencies from around the Bay Area.

Jill Snyder, special agent in charge of the ATF San Francisco field office, said more than 90 guns and about 100 ounces of drugs were seized in the operation. She also said 48 stolen cars were recovered.

At least 1,000 law enforcement officers participated in the operation.

“One firearm in the hands of a gang member or a prohibited person,” Snyder said, “is one firearm too many.”