NASHVILLE, Tenn. — August 24, 2026 — A five-day federal enforcement operation in Nashville has resulted in 44 arrests on federal indictments, the seizure of more than 160 firearms and the removal of large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine from the streets, according to federal prosecutors.
But the scale of the seizures was only part of the operation.
Federal and local investigators spent months building cases after using three years of shooting-related data and ballistic intelligence to identify Nashville areas where violent crime and suspected illegal firearms and drug activity were concentrated.
The operation, called “Operation Last Call,” ran from August 19 through August 23 and involved the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
Authorities said undercover federal agents conducted controlled purchases of firearms and narcotics before the arrests.
The numbers behind Operation Last Call
The operation produced a large enforcement haul across firearms and narcotics cases.
| Measure | Operation result |
|---|---|
| Federal defendants arrested | 44 |
| Firearms seized | 160+ |
| Methamphetamine seized | 2+ kilograms |
| Fentanyl seized | 1+ kilogram |
| Cocaine and crack seized | More than 0.5 kilogram quantities |
| Defendants with previous felony convictions | 27 |
| Defendants already on probation, parole, supervised release or bond | 10 |
| Investigation data reviewed | 3 years |
| Main agencies involved | 4 |
The figures come from the U.S. Attorney’s Office announcement. Local Nashville reporting independently highlighted the same core seizure totals and arrest figures.
The prior-record numbers are particularly notable. 27 of the 44 defendants — about 61% — had previous felony convictions, according to prosecutors. Another 10 defendants were already under some form of court supervision or release when the alleged new offenses occurred.
Those categories may overlap, and prosecutors did not state that every defendant in one group was also in the other.
Investigators went after specific Nashville crime hotspots
Operation Last Call was not described as a citywide random sweep.
Investigators said they first examined three years of shots-fired calls, shooting crimes and information from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN.
The data was then reviewed by another law-enforcement agency in another state to help determine the areas that would become the focus of the investigation.
Officials said the selection process was intended to be based on documented shooting and violent-crime activity rather than population or socioeconomic characteristics.
The resulting focus areas included:
- Harding Place/I-24 corridor
- Bell Road-Murfreesboro Pike area
- Brick Church Pike-Trinity Lane corridor
- Napier-Sudekum neighborhood
Nashville Police Chief John Drake described the strategy as “precision policing,” saying the targeted communities were selected using crime data. Local reporting also identified the same four areas as the focus of the operation.
160-plus firearms came off Nashville streets
The firearm seizure was one of the operation’s largest results.
Authorities recovered more than 160 firearms, including what officials described as assault-style rifles equipped with high-capacity magazines.
Investigators also seized multiple machine-gun conversion devices, commonly called “switches.” These devices can convert certain semiautomatic pistols into machine guns and are illegal under federal law.
The investigation included allegations involving illegal firearm transfers, unlicensed firearms dealing, possession of firearms by prohibited persons and firearms allegedly connected to drug-trafficking offenses.
The firearm cases were not limited to one alleged trafficking method. Some defendants were charged with selling firearms without a license, while others face allegations involving possession by convicted felons or firearm use in connection with drug crimes.
Fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine were also seized
The narcotics side of the operation produced another substantial haul.
Authorities reported seizing:
- More than 2 kilograms of methamphetamine
- More than 1 kilogram of fentanyl
- More than half-kilogram quantities of powder cocaine and crack cocaine
The investigation included separate federal allegations involving distribution of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine and crack cocaine.
Several indictments also combine drug-distribution allegations with firearm charges, illustrating why federal prosecutors characterized the operation as an effort against both illegal firearms and narcotics trafficking.
Undercover purchases helped build the federal cases
The arrests announced Monday were the result of a months-long investigation.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, ATF, the U.S. Marshals Service and MNPD used undercover federal agents to make controlled purchases of firearms and narcotics from individuals in several Nashville locations.
Those purchases were then used as part of the federal investigations that resulted in the indictments.
This is an important distinction from a conventional arrest sweep: authorities say they identified the locations through historical crime data and then developed individual cases through undercover transactions.
27 defendants had previous felony convictions
The criminal-history data adds another significant dimension to the operation.
Federal prosecutors said 27 of the 44 defendants had previous felony convictions, including convictions involving aggravated assault, attempted aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, narcotics trafficking and previous firearm offenses.
The government also said 10 defendants were already on probation, parole, supervised release or bond at the time of the alleged offenses.
That means more than one-fifth of the defendants were allegedly under some form of supervision or release when the conduct described in the new indictments occurred.
However, these figures describe defendants’ prior status and the government’s allegations. They do not establish guilt on the new charges.
Who was arrested?
The federal indictments cover a wide range of alleged firearm and narcotics offenses. The 44 defendants announced by prosecutors include:
| Defendant | Age | Federal allegations |
|---|---|---|
| KeDarious Bell | 21 | Methamphetamine distribution; firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; machine-gun possession; illegal firearm transfers; unlicensed firearms dealing |
| Kenyon Blackman | 21 | Illegal firearm transfers; dealing firearms without a license |
| Taurus Booker | 51 | Cocaine distribution; felon in possession of a firearm |
| Corian Bowling | 26 | Methamphetamine conspiracy and distribution; firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking |
| James Braden | 47 | Crack cocaine distribution; felon in possession of a firearm |
| Gregory Brooks | 30 | Methamphetamine conspiracy and distribution; felon in possession of a firearm |
| Imari Calloway | 20 | Illegal firearm transfers; unlicensed firearms dealing |
| Aron Capps | 27 | Fentanyl distribution |
| Waldorf Coleman | 42 | Felon in possession of a firearm |
| Alexi Contreras | 39 | Fentanyl distribution |
| Cory Cotton | 45 | Fentanyl and crack cocaine distribution; alleged distribution of 40+ grams of fentanyl |
| Ulises Cruz | 26 | Distribution of 50+ grams of methamphetamine |
| Brandon Dardy | 39 | Cocaine distribution; felon in possession of a firearm |
| Lewis Dawson | 26 | Felon in possession of a firearm; methamphetamine and crack cocaine distribution; firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking |
| Miguel De La Rosa | 24 | Distribution of 50+ grams of methamphetamine; illegal firearm transfer |
| Danny DeMoss | 38 | Fentanyl distribution, including alleged distribution of 40+ grams |
| Terry Fields | 42 | Distribution of 50+ grams of methamphetamine |
| Latherio Fizer | 42 | Cocaine and crack cocaine distribution |
| Brian Ging | 28 | Possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number |
| William Givens | 67 | Distribution of 28+ grams of crack cocaine |
| Tiffany Givens | 42 | Two counts involving distribution of 28+ grams of crack cocaine |
| Easan Harris | 19 | Possession of a machine-gun conversion device |
| William Henderson | 37 | Fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution, including alleged quantities of 40+ grams fentanyl and 50+ grams methamphetamine |
| Tyrone Hudson | 41 | Methamphetamine distribution; firearm-related drug-trafficking charges |
| Jerron Huey | 40 | Methamphetamine distribution, including alleged quantities of 50+ grams and 5+ grams |
| Aiden Johnson | 20 | Methamphetamine distribution, including alleged distribution of 50+ grams |
| Peter McKinnie | 46 | Distribution of 40+ grams of fentanyl; firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking |
| Shomari Milliken | 40 | Distribution of 40+ grams of fentanyl with prior conviction |
| Jeremy Mimms | 38 | Six firearm-possession counts; methamphetamine distribution |
| Jermaine Morgan | 27 | Two machine-gun conversion-device counts; cocaine distribution; felon in possession of a firearm |
| Frank Newsom | 38 | Two felon-in-possession counts; fentanyl distribution |
| James Oliver | 39 | Felon in possession; attempted fentanyl distribution; firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking |
| Lilburn Reynolds | 56 | Crack cocaine distribution; firearm-related drug-trafficking charges; felon in possession |
| Barry Robertson | 40 | Felon in possession of a firearm |
| Ladon Robertson | 40 | Crack cocaine, fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution |
| Timothy Schields | 35 | Methamphetamine distribution, including alleged quantities of 50+ grams and 5+ grams |
| Joshua Selmon | 36 | Illegal firearm possession following a misdemeanor domestic-violence conviction; unlicensed firearms dealing |
| Courtney Skinner | 41 | Fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution; firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; felon in possession |
| Tyler Sloan | 30 | Two methamphetamine distribution counts |
| Cameron Thompson | 26 | Distribution of 50+ grams of methamphetamine; methamphetamine distribution |
| Andre Vaughn | 37 | Distribution of 28+ grams of crack cocaine |
| Ronnie Wellington | 47 | Methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution |
| Corey Wilson | 43 | Methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution; firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking; felon in possession |
The charges above are allegations contained in federal indictments. The U.S. Attorney’s Office emphasized that all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
The firearm cases go beyond simple possession
A notable feature of the indictments is the variety of alleged firearm conduct.
Some defendants face charges for allegedly possessing guns as prohibited persons. Others are accused of transferring firearms illegally or dealing firearms without a license.
Several cases also allege that firearms were possessed or used in connection with drug-trafficking crimes.
The investigation therefore targeted both the supply of illegal firearms and the alleged use or possession of guns in connection with narcotics activity.
Federal prosecutors are handling the cases
The cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Stephens, Dina Shabayek, Brian Enright, Alex Bergida and Carlin Hess are prosecuting the charged cases, according to the Justice Department.
The investigation involved the ATF’s Nashville Field Office, the U.S. Marshals Service for Middle Tennessee and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
Why Operation Last Call matters for Nashville
The significance of the operation is not simply that 44 people were arrested.
The investigation shows how federal and local authorities are increasingly combining historical shooting data, ballistic intelligence, undercover purchases and federal indictments to target specific crime hotspots.
The operation also produced a measurable enforcement result: more than 160 firearms and large quantities of drugs were seized.
Whether those seizures lead to a sustained reduction in shootings and violent crime will take longer to determine.
For now, authorities have identified the operation’s immediate objective: remove firearms and drugs linked to alleged criminal activity and prosecute the people accused of trafficking or possessing them.
What happens next?
The arrests mark the beginning of the federal court process, not the end of the cases.
Each defendant will face the specific charges contained in their indictment. Prosecutors must prove those allegations in court, and defendants remain presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The longer-term measure of Operation Last Call will also extend beyond the courtroom.
If the data-driven approach works as officials intend, investigators will look for fewer shootings and violent incidents in the four targeted areas. That outcome cannot yet be established from the arrests or seizures alone.
The Bottom Line
Operation Last Call turned three years of Nashville shooting and ballistic data into a targeted federal enforcement operation. Between August 19 and 23, authorities arrested 44 defendants, seized more than 160 firearms and removed major quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and crack from the streets. With 27 defendants reported to have prior felony convictions and 10 already under supervision or release, the federal cases now move into court, where the allegations will be tested.
