William Fallon: Operation Falcon in Full Force

History suggests that when law enforcement officials combine leadership and cooperation to locate dangerous criminal suspects, success is virtually certain.

William Fallon of the U.S. Marshals Service and his team demonstrated the strength of this formula as they spearheaded one of the largest and most successful law enforcement operation in American history.

Known as Operation FALCON (Federal and Local Cops Organized Nationally), the nationwide dragnet during one week in June 2008 prompted arrests of 19,380 individuals in 47 states. The list of suspects included those wanted for murder, sex offenses, gang violence, narcotics and firearms violations.

FALCON 2008 team members seized more than $1.5 million, 418 firearms, 34 vehicles, and over 5,300 pounds of narcotics. The fugitives arrested had a collective history of nearly 94,000 prior arrests.

Led by Fallon, Deputy Commander Thomas Thompson and Investigative Program Analyst Lance Eastwood, Operation FALCON brought together more than 5,000 law enforcement officers from the local, state and federal level.

"Operation FALCON is a perfect example of how law enforcement can and should work," said then-attorney General Michael Mukasey following the operation. "FALCON 2008 shows us that when law enforcement from all levels joins forces, no fugitive can hide from justice for long."