Authorities crackdown on crime in southern Fresno County, 22 arrests made

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- It's a message of zero tolerance.

"Anyone that can go to jail tonight will... we're going to be writing citations and towing cars," said Sgt. Jake Jensen.

For 10 hours, Operation Goldstar sent more than 75 units, from the local and federal level in teams to swarm Fresno County.

The objective was to tackle crime while bringing peace of mind to county residents.

"I hope you see our presence and you know we're trying to make the county a safer place," Jensen said.

Undercover sergeant Jake Jensen says they've spent the last five weeks strategizing and within the first three hours it paid off with more than ten arrests.

"We have Homeland Security, CDC, Probations Parole with us we have other outlining smaller agencies," said deputy sheriff Briana Leon.

Saturday, 65 search warrants were served at the homes of known felons and parolees, but the added presence meant any violation was fair game.

Once they got resistance from this driver at a traffic stop, they learned his gang ties

Deputy sheriff Leon says these operations not only alert officers to a crime in progress, but it's also a proactive approach to deterring it.

"My main objective is to leave whichever town we go into that night to leave them a little safer every single night," she said.

The camaraderie between agencies is a bonus.

"No matter if you've just met the person today or if you've known them for years its like one big team or one big family for us," Leon said.

Saturday's operation led to 15 felony arrests and seven misdemeanor arrests; officials say 69 vehicle stops were made and 40 parole searches were conducted.

In addition, two firearms were seized, four citations were issued and two vehicles were towed.

Operation Gold Star will be the first time authorities have conducted a similar sweep since 2016. Officials say they hope to perform these operations quarterly.