ATLANTA — Federal and local law enforcement agencies have launched a joint operation to arrest dozens of violent fugitives in metro Atlanta ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Channel 2 Action News rode exclusively with the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force as agents and Atlanta police arrested suspects accused of crimes including murder, armed robbery and aggravated assault.
Authorities said Operation Lockdown targets 35 fugitives identified by Atlanta police as some of the city’s most dangerous offenders.
“We’re going to be relentless,” said Richard Bilson, assistant special agent in charge of the FBI in Atlanta. “We’re not going to stop until all these people are in custody.”
The operation is a partnership between the FBI and the Atlanta Police Department.
“Our goal is to get them in custody for a reason,” said Marlo Graham, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Atlanta field office.
Officials said the operation coincides with preparations for the FIFA World Cup, which is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to Atlanta.
“Did the timing hit perfectly for FIFA? Absolutely,” Graham said. “But would this be going on absent that? Yes.”
Bilson said investigators are focused on “the worst of the worst.”
“Whether that be murder, whether that be aggravated assault with a firearm,” he said.
During one early morning raid in northwest Atlanta, agents searched for Aldemetrius Brown, who is accused of shooting a man nine times after an argument.
Around 6 a.m., agents surrounded the home. Two women and two children exited first. After authorities determined Brown was hiding inside, SWAT officers and a K-9 team were called in.
After more than two hours, Brown surrendered.
“As they went in, we came to realize he was actually hiding in the attic of the house,” Graham said.
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Agents later traveled to a Union City apartment complex to arrest Kenneth Jones, who is accused in a 2025 interstate shooting that wounded a man and a pregnant woman. The unborn child died.
Authorities said Jones resisted arrest, prompting agents to deploy a flash-bang device before taking him into custody.
In Covington, agents arrested Laquan Paschal after he barricaded himself inside a home for more than three hours. Paschal is wanted in connection with a 2025 killing on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta.
Bilson urged other fugitives to surrender.
“Turn yourself in now before we have to come to your house,” he said.
As of Monday, authorities said 12 of the 35 fugitives had been captured.
The remaining suspects include:
- 10 wanted for murder
- 6 wanted for aggravated assault
- 3 wanted for armed robbery
- 3 wanted on other violent charges
- 1 escapee
Graham said the FBI uses cellphone tracking, confidential sources and surveillance to verify a suspect’s location before serving warrants.
In recent years, Channel 2 Action News has reported on raids that targeted the wrong addresses. Graham said the FBI now incorporates additional planning and technology, including robots and drones, to reduce those risks.
“We are making sure that we have a plan prior to our arrival at any location,” Graham said.
Graham said partnerships with local agencies are essential to the operation’s success.
“Partnership is paramount,” she said. “Put our talents together and get these people off the street that are wreaking havoc in some of our communities.”
The FBI said murders and aggravated assaults in metro Atlanta have declined by more than 20% over the past 12 months.
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