United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that throughout 2023, federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies seized 368 firearms that were possessed in violation of federal law. In the same year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota charged approximately 93 defendants with illegally owning, possessing, using, or obtaining one or more such firearms.
“Through these firearm seizures, we are confident law enforcement agencies prevented countless violent and drug-related crimes from occurring in communities across South Dakota,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for the strong law enforcement partnerships in South Dakota, which allow us to combine federal, state, and tribal resources to target some of the most dangerous individuals in our state and remove illegal firearms from our streets.”
Efforts to seize illegal firearms are the result of close cooperation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), South Dakota State Highway Patrol, and numerous sheriff’s offices and police departments across the state, including Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
“Illegal firearms trafficking simply cannot be tolerated as it directly fuels violent crime within our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the St. Paul Field Division. “We at ATF will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners across South Dakota to pursue these perpetrators of violence. We are grateful for the strong partnerships forged over the years that have led to these impactful investigations. We are also grateful for the U.S. Attorney’s Office here in South Dakota, which has been the essential catalyst in bringing these violent perpetrators to justice.”
“Maintaining strong partnerships within our law enforcement community is incredibly important to ensure successful firearm investigations like these,” said Jamie Holt, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “Investigating and prosecuting organizations and individuals involved in these types of crimes results in safer communities with less gun violence.”
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