heavily armed agents arrested members of the 30 Deep gang

37 gang members were arrested as part of an operation to target the 30 Deep gang. The four-day operation was conducted by the Atlanta Police Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and nearly two dozen other agencies.

As part of the operation, heavily armed agents arrested members of the 30 Deep gang and affiliate groups in the Pittsburgh, Mechanicsville and the Cleveland Avenue corridor. Their charges ranged from minor probation violations to felonies. APD Chief George Turner says Atlantans should feel safer because there are fewer gang members on the streets.

"I think we've made a significant reduction in what they can and will be doing."
Law enforcement officers also say the arrests should send a message to area gang members."

Keith Booker is the commander of the U.S. Marshal's Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force.

"If you want to be tough, and you want to be bad, and you want to be in gang, and you commit crimes in Atlanta, then we're going to hunt you down, and we're going to lock you up and you're going to go prison."

Members of the 30 Deep gang are believed to be responsible for smash and grabs, robberies and several murders throughout the Atlanta metro area. Those murders include the shooting death of grant park bartender John Henderson, for which suspected 30 Deep member Jonathan Redding is currently standing trial. Authorities say the crackdown was prompted by a recent attack on a witness in that trial.

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