Targeting illegally-owned guns, the Broward Sheriff’s Office announced Thursday they’ve confiscated 137 firearms in 2012 under Operation Bulleye II.
“The guns by themselves aren’t dangerous,” Sheriff Al Lamberti said in a press release. “But when they are in the hands of convicted felons, it’s a different story. BSO will not let up on firearms violators. I am proud of the hard work of everyone involved in Operation Bullseye II.”
To read a story about a man accused of smuggling guns to Haiti, click here.
Operation Bullseye was launched as part of a countywide initiative to remove illegally possessed weapons and prevent crimes, officials said.
The sheriff’s office said 31 firearms violators were arrested and 30 illegally-owned guns were confiscated from March to May of this year.
"Twenty percent of the criminals commit 80 percent of the crimes," Lamberti said, adding, "If you can focus on them, you can have an impact on 80 percent of the crime."
That’s why they target felons like Tony Velez, who police said had a shotgun and a Glock that turned out to be the murder weapon in another case. Lamberti held up the Glock at a news conference.
“So here he is, he’s out on bond on another charge, served a search warrant at his house, and they found two loaded weapons,” Lamberti said.
Officials urged the public to use Crime Stoppers. A tip about an illegal gun can save a life, the sheriff said.
