Officials: 18 Smith County Offenders Arrested

TYLER — On September 4-5, the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, assisted by the United States Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force (JETF), arrested eighteen Smith County registered sex offenders for various violations. Those include failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements. According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, sex offenders were identified as failing to comply with their registration requirements during the Summer Home Compliance Operation executed by the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and the JETF on June 12th and 13th.

Operation Summer Home Pick Up was initiated to locate and arrest the 22 sex offenders who were previously identified. Eighteen offenders were taken into custody, one additional offender was located in Bexar County jail in San Antonio, and active investigations are currently being conducted on the remaining three individuals, according to officials.

There are approximately 320 registered sex offenders living in Smith County. Periodic compliance operations are conducted to ensure the safety of the community and that sex offenders are fully complying with all sex offender registration requirements, according to the news release. During these compliance operations law enforcement officers make contact with each offender to make sure all information that has been reported by the offender is accurate and up to date, officials say. If any violations of the sex offender registration requirements are found, a warrant will be issued for those offenders, according to authorities.

Sheriff Larry Smith says he is committed to utilizing whatever resources are needed to ensure that the sex offender registrants are in compliance. Sheriff Smith also expressed his appreciation for the assistance of the United States Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force and its participating local and state agencies.

The United States Marshals Joint East Texas Fugitive Task Force is made up of members from Gladewater Police Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, Longview Police Department, Palestine City Marshal’s Office, Rusk County Sheriff’s Office, Smith County Constable Precinct 4 Office, Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General, Tyler Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.