Latest news with #DanielComeaux
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Nearly 100 repeat violent felons arrested in Dallas
The Brief Nearly 100 repeat violent felons were arrested in Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux's first major operation, "Operation Justice Trail." The month-long operation cleared 163 warrants and targeted individuals responsible for over 700 past crimes, including capital murder and aggravated assault. Some suspects identified by the operation are still at large, and the initiative will continue through the summer. DALLAS - Nearly 100 repeat violent felons were taken off the streets of Dallas in new Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux's first major operation since joining the department five weeks ago. What we know On Thursday, Chief Comeaux touted the results of his first big initiative as chief. Operation Justice Trail was built on the groundwork laid by former Chief Eddie Garcia's violent crime reduction plan. "The goal was to identify and locate all felons who were walking around on the streets of Dallas," Comeaux said. Officers used a combination of the city's camera system and old-fashioned good police work to make the arrests. By the numbers Over the month of May, law enforcement officers cleared 163 warrants and arrested 98 violent felons. LINK: Full list of names, mugshots and charges for those arrested Chief Comeaux said that in total, the suspects are responsible for 700 past crimes such as capital murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, sexual offenses, and a range of narcotics and weapons violations. Three of the people arrested currently have Immigration and Customs Enforcement holds. What they're saying "When I came in, it was like we have to do this. We must do it. We're going to do it right now," Comeaux said. "We got the team together and said, 'Who do we need to get off the streets first?' We started putting the list together and going down the list." "Our message is clear. We're putting violent felons on notice. If you're wanted, turn yourself in," said Assistant Chief Catrina Shead, who led the operation. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot said he knows some of the felons could bond out of jail. He vowed to do what he could to keep them behind bars. "At the end of the day, the court sets the bond and decides what to do if there's a bond violation," DA Creuzot said. "There's a new law coming on board, subject to a constitutional amendment vote, that will help us get refocused on that to the judges, and it will also give the judges more guidelines to set more appropriate bonds. And we'll have the right to appeal and some other things." What we don't know Some suspects identified by Operation Justice Trail are still wanted. The chief could not provide a number for how many are still out there but said the operation will continue into the summer months. What you can do Anyone with information about a wanted felon is asked to call the Dallas Police Department or use the iWatch Dallas app to submit a tip. Anonymous tips are also welcome through Crime Stoppers. The Source The information in this story comes from the Dallas Police Department and Chief Daniel Comeaux's Operation Justice Trail news conference.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Dallas Police Nab 98 Repeat Offenders In Major Crime Sweep
Dallas police arrested 98 fugitives during a month-long operation targeting violent felons. The suspects had a combined arrest history 700 prior arrests. Operation Justice Trail represents a key component of the department's strategy to reduce violent crime by focusing on repeat offenders who drive much of the city's criminal activity. The Dallas Police Fugitive Unit partnered with the U.S. Marshals North Texas Fugitive Task Force for the May sweep. Together, they cleared 167 warrants and tracked down suspects across Dallas and beyond state lines. Police Chief Daniel Comeaux launched the initiative as part of the department's Violent Crime Reduction Plan. The strategy recognizes that a small group of criminals commits most violent offenses. The Dallas County District Attorney's Office also participated in the coordinated effort. Their involvement helped expedite warrant processing and case preparation. Department officials released a comprehensive report detailing each fugitive's charges and criminal background. The document underscores the extensive rap sheets of those captured during the 31-day operation. By removing these repeat offenders from the streets, police aim to create a measurable impact on public safety. The arrests target individuals with histories of violent crimes rather than low-level offenses.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
New Dallas police chief's crime crackdown nets nearly 100 arrests since May launch
Dallas' new police chief has announced the results of his first major crime initiative, Operation Justice Trail, which has led to nearly 100 arrests since its launch last month. Targeting repeat offenders CBS News Texas The operation, aimed at removing violent felons from the streets, has so far resulted in 98 arrests, including 10 individuals with more than 90 prior offenses between them. "The goal was to identify and find all felons that were walking around on the streets of Dallas," Police Chief Daniel Comeaux said during a news conference at Dallas Police Department headquarters. "Any felon that was out free, we wanted to put them in custody." Multi-agency effort The initiative is a collaboration between the Dallas Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Dallas County District Attorney's Office. As part of the crackdown, officials announced a reward for three of the city's most wanted criminals. Assistant Chief Catrina Shead of the Dallas Police Department delivered a stern warning to fugitives. "Our message is clear—we're putting violent felons on notice," Shead said. "If you are wanted, turn yourself in and know that we are determined to pursue every measure to take you into custody." Bond system under scrutiny Despite the operation's success, authorities faced questions about why so many criminals with a combined total of 700 convictions were free. Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot explained that initial bond decisions are beyond his office's control. "There could be a situation where any one of these or any other individuals—high profile, high crime—could be arrested and bonded out," Creuzot said. "We do not set the bonds in the DA's office. And unfortunately, the way the system is set up in Dallas County, we're not even present when the initial bonds are set." ICE holds and immigration status Three of the 98 arrested individuals have ICE holds, indicating they may be in the country illegally. Operation to continue through summer The initiative will run through the summer, a period when violent crime historically rises in the city. Dallas Police Sgt. Sheldon Smith, president of the National Black Police Association, highlighted the importance of their mission. "It's a job that needs to be done," Smith said. "Somebody has to do it. We're very blessed to have the ability to do it. But we realize we can't do it alone." Reward offered for information To encourage public involvement, authorities have announced a reward of up to $5,000 for tips leading to the arrest of wanted violent felons, reinforcing their commitment to tackling repeat offenders.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
New Dallas police chief's three-word warning to migrants who still think it's a sanctuary city
The new Dallas police chief Daniel Comeaux issued a blunt three-word warning to illegal immigrants as its 'sanctuary city' status came to an abrupt end. Comeaux delivered a clear message as he took the Texas city's top police job this week, telling potential migrants: 'You're not welcome.' 'Pick another city, don't come to Dallas,' he added. The lawman was named as the city's new police chief in April following a 33-year career including time as a DEA special agent. He beat out interim chief Michael Igo to the top job, after Igo was slammed by Texas officials for allegedly failing to follow President Trump's immigration crackdown. Comeaux issued the message days after Homeland Security didn't include Dallas on its list of jurisdictions that it recognizes as 'sanctuary cities.' A sanctuary city is seen as one that refuses to cooperate with federal immigration laws, and provides legal protections for illegal aliens to stop them being deported. Dallas was previously seen as a haven for illegal migrants in the red state, however the Trump administration has threatened to pull federal funding from cities that refuse to comply with his orders. 'President Trump and (DHS) Secretary Noem have been clear: sanctuary jurisdictions should immediately cease violation of Federal law and cooperate with law enforcement,' a DHS spokesperson told KXAN as Dallas dropped off the list. The shift in Dallas comes as sanctuary city policies were effectively outlawed in Texas in 2017 as the state legislature prohibited any interference with state or federal immigration enforcement. Earlier this year, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into Dallas and the city's police department over possible non-compliance with the Trump administration's immigration policies. Paxton named Igo in an open letter released at the time, accusing the former interim Dallas police chief of telling his police department not to assist in detaining illegal immigrants. 'The law is not optional,' Paxton said at the time. 'Local governments do not have the authority to disregard state and federal immigration laws. 'The people of Texas expect law enforcement agencies to uphold public safety, not to implement sanctuary policies that put our communities at risk.' Igo said at the time that his department would not stop anyone for the sole reason of checking their immigration status, but denied refusing to work with federal law enforcement, per KERA News. It comes as Trump stepped up his deportations targets this week by telling immigration officials to conduct 3,000 arrests every day in an ambitious effort to ramp up his deportation agenda. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller said the new goal is only temporary and the number of daily arrests expected under the Trump administration will continue to rise. 'Under President Trump's leadership, we are looking to set a goal of a minimum of 3,000 arrests for ICE every day,' Miller told Fox News' Sean Hannity. Trump's border czar Tom Homan backed the ambitious new benchmark on Thursday morning, insisting: ' We've gotta increase these arrests and removals.' 'The numbers are good, but I'm not satisfied. I haven't been satisfied all year long.' During Trump's first 100 days back in office, ICE officials arrested 66,463 illegal immigrants. More than 65,000 illegal immigrants were deported.
New York Post
6 days ago
- General
- New York Post
Dallas GOP mayor, new top cop buck sanctuary trend to ‘do what's right'
It's been nearly a month since Daniel Comeaux was sworn in as the new chief of police in Dallas, TX, where he is taking a different approach to immigration enforcement than his predecessor and working to align with the state's sanctuary policies. 'We're gonna do what's right. We're always gonna be there to help our federal partners,' Comeaux told Fox News Digital during an interview. Advertisement 'If there's a federal agency that's doing an operation, and they need our assistance, we'll be there to help them, as long as they're doing what's by the law, and they're doing it with respect and the right way, DPD will be there to assist,' he continued. Comeaux also has the support of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who said during a previous interview with Fox News that he would support efforts by President Donald Trump to deport undocumented migrants accused of violent crimes. 'Of course, we'd support that,' Johnson said during the interview. 'Of course, we'd stand by President Trump in an effort to get rid of people in our country illegally who have violent criminal records or who commit violent criminal acts here.' 4 Daniel Comeaux took his oath to lead the Dallas Police Department on April 11, 2025. City of Dallas Advertisement Texas has taken a hard stance against illegal immigration, particularly during the Biden administration. The state deployed authorities to its border with Mexico and took on a campaign of busing migrants to Democrat-run cities to bring attention to the flow of illegal immigrants into the US. Johnson, who has served as Dallas' mayor since 2019, made headlines in 2023 when he announced he was switching from the Democrat party to the Republican, explaining his decision in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, 'American cities need Republicans.' Dallas, one of the top 10 largest cities in the US, saw a significant decrease in crime after Johnson took office in 2019. According to the Associated Press, Dallas is the largest city in the US to be led by a GOP mayor. Advertisement Johnson told Fox News Digital in 2021 he attributed that success to three things — a strong police chief, having 'a budget that reflects public safety being your city's top priority' and ensuring there's 'community buy-in' for crime reduction. 4 DEA's Houston Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Comeaux displays photos of a pill made by a drug cartel, left, and one made by a pharmaceutical manufacturer, right, during a press conference at the Harris County Criminal Justice Center in Houston in April 2023. Houston Chronicle via Getty Images 'Mayor Johnson has made public safety his top priority in Dallas, and the city has now achieved a remarkable four-consecutive years of violent crime reduction,' the mayor's office told Fox News Digital. 'The mayor supports President Trump's agenda for making America safe again and believes cooperating with federal law enforcement to stop violent criminals — particularly illegal immigrants who have no right to be in our city or in our country — helps keep Dallas safe.' Advertisement While Johnson made his position clear on immigration enforcement, his stance differed from former DPD Interim Chief Michael Igo, who previously said his department would not turn in or report anyone in the country illegally who calls 911 for help. 'The Dallas Police Department is not assisting any federal agency on detaining people that are either documented or undocumented in the city of Dallas,' Igo previously said to attendees at Familia Bethel Internacional church in Dallas, according to CBS News. 4 Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson speaks during an introductory press conference for the Dallas Wings' WNBA basketball draft selections Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Dallas. AP Igo also told the parishioners that federal immigration officials said no arrests or raids would be carried out in churches, schools or hospitals, although he did say that illegal immigrants with outstanding warrants were at risk of deportation. Comeaux, who also has a different take on the issues than his predecessor, said while he wouldn't necessarily call it aligning with President Donald Trump's agenda, he said his department would 'do what's right by law enforcement.' 'If we come in contact with anyone that doesn't have status, we will call the proper federal agency and let them handle it,' Comeaux said. 'We're not initiating any investigations. We're not initiating any programs. So everyone should feel free to go with their business as normal.' Comeaux reiterated that if any of theirfederal partners needed assistance in any way, they would be there to assist. Comeaux, who has been on the federal side of law enforcement for the past few decades, most recently served as the special agent in charge of the DEA field office in Houston. Advertisement He said one of his biggest focuses is working to get felons off the streets. 'Anyone that has a felony warrant, at any moment, know that we could be the ones knocking at your door. It might not be the mailman knocking at your door, it might be us. So if you have a felony warrant, we are trying to get you off the streets,' Comeaux warned. 'We'll get you to the necessary court that you need to be in. But we're very aggressive in getting anyone off the street that has felony warrants. We'll keep everybody safe here in Dallas,' he continued. Advertisement Comeaux added that another feature the city has in place to protect the public is a camera system. 4 Comeaux, who has been on the federal side of law enforcement for the past few decades, most recently served as the special agent in charge of the DEA field office in Houston. Dallas police department 'One great thing about Dallas is we have so many camera systems in place. We see what's happening across the city and everyone needs to understand that and know that if you're in this area, if you commit crimes in Dallas, it's very likely that we're seeing you, we're watching you, and we're coming to get you,' he vowed. Comeaux also issued a warning to anyone looking to bring violence to the city or break the law to think again. Advertisement 'Not in this city. I've been a crime fighter, I've been a protector for my entire career, ever since I was 21 years old,' he said. 'Pick another city. Don't come to Dallas, you're not welcome.' When asked what motivated Comeaux to leave the DEA's office and get back into policing, he reflected on an incident when he started his career as a Houston police officer at 21. 'I'll never forget those moments when I was working the streets, and I was able to really make a difference. I was unable to help an elderly person one day and that has really stuck with me for my entire law enforcement career,' the chief shared. Advertisement 'And I always knew I wanted to circle back to local law enforcement and I wanted it to be in a city that can really be influential throughout the entire United States and Dallas was one of those.' Fox News Digital's Michael Dorgan, Louis Casiano, and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
