Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday announced new details about Operation Salvo, a federal immigration enforcement initiative launched following the shooting of an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer in New York City.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the operation is focused on identifying and arresting criminal illegal aliens connected to violent transnational gangs, including those responsible for weapons trafficking, narcotics distribution, human smuggling, and armed robberies.
“Operation Salvo is just the beginning of a broader and a much more sustained effort,” Noem said, describing the initiative as part of a nationwide push to target criminal networks and individuals who pose a threat to public safety and law enforcement. She said the Trump administration is utilizing existing federal authorities to pursue offenders and deter future attacks on law enforcement officers.
DHS officials said Operation Salvo was launched in response to a July attack in which two criminal illegal aliens assaulted an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer and his girlfriend while they were walking through a park. The officer survived after being shot in the face and arm and was later able to meet with Noem ahead of Wednesday’s announcement, according to the department.
Federal authorities said the suspects in that attack were members of the Trinitarios gang and were taken into custody following a joint investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the New York Police Department. Prosecutors have filed multiple felony charges related to attempted murder, robbery, assault, and firearms offenses.
Since the launch of Operation Salvo, DHS said 54 individuals connected to violent criminal organizations have been arrested, with additional enforcement actions ongoing. Officials said roughly 60 percent of those arrested have already been removed from the country.
The operation is being coordinated across multiple federal components, including CBP, Homeland Security Investigations, and Enforcement and Removal Operations, with assistance from state and local law enforcement agencies. Federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York and the New York County District Attorney’s Office are also involved, DHS said.
Noem said the operation was designed to send a clear message following the July shooting that attacks on law enforcement officers would be met with a sustained federal response.
“If you think you can harm a citizen of the United States or a law enforcement officer, we will find you and bring you to justice,” she said.
DHS officials said Operation Salvo remains active and that further arrests are expected as investigations into gang-linked criminal activity continue.
