Sweep yields about 50 county fugitives

A month-long sweep across Eastern Washington during June netted 210 fugitive arrests, including about 50 in Yakima County, the U.S. Marshal's Service announced Monday.

The suspects were wanted on a variety of charges, including drug and gun violations and failing to appear in court.

One suspect from Franklin County was caught in White Swan. He stayed for a couple of days with his girlfriend at the Job Corps dormitory before being caught, according to the U.S. Marshal's Service.

The man was in the last year of a 10-year drug possession sentence when he left a halfway house, marshals said.

The sweep, dubbed Operation Falcon, brings together state, local and federal agencies. Agencies across the country have arrested more than 91,000 fugitives since Falcon's start five years ago, according to a news release.

Yakima-based marshals worked primarily with the state Department of Corrections to locate wanted suspects. The Yakima County Violent Crime Task Force, a multi-agency organization that includes a representative from the marshal's office, focused on the Lower Valley.