“The Virginia Homeland Security Task Force has been extremely successful, and Virginia is safer today because of it,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “I am grateful for the brave men and women of our federal, state and local law enforcement who show up and go to work every day to ensure violent criminals who are here illegally are arrested.”

The Governor addressed the media at the Virginia State Police (VSP) headquarters in Chesterfield, joined by VSP Superintendent Colonel Matthew Hanley and Petersburg City Chief of Police Travis Christian. Earlier today, the Governor congratulated Virginia State Police (VSP) leaders for securing the largest recruitment class since 2018, with over 100 troopers starting training.

The Governor also announced increased enforcement by the Virginia State Police in cities with high violent crime rates under the Administration’s Operation Bold Blue Line initiative, supporting 13 Virginia cities to combat violent crime, in conjunction with the Operation Ceasefire Initiative from Attorney General Jason Miyares and the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). OBBL cities receive increased support from VSP and support from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI).

“When a city is troubled with violent crime, we do not turn our backs on our fellow Virginians. We stand together with our law enforcement heroes and form a Bold Blue Line to protect communities and put criminals behind bars,” Governor Youngkin continued. “And it’s working. We have stepped up recruitment efforts and delivered the largest class for new troopers in recent memory. We are going to put more badges on the street. Our great state troopers work hand-in-hand with local law enforcement leaders and our Attorney General’s amazing Ceasefire team to protect and serve all communities. As we move into the summer, the Virginia State Police will be increasing their patrols in the places which need the most help.”

The Governor and Colonel Hanley also discussed the comprehensive effort to combat human trafficking. A large focus has been on increasing awareness of the issue and how to report instances of human trafficking. In 2023, approximately 168 tips were submitted the Virginia State Police. In the first six months of 2025, 523 tips were submitted.

“There has been a foundational shift in people’s understanding of what human trafficking looks like and how to actually build a case to not just interrupt it, but to rescue Virginians who are caught in it,” Governor Youngkin said.

Finally, the Governor updated on the Operation FREE effort which is part of the Youngkin Administration’s comprehensive fight against fentanyl. The effort, launched by the Commonwealth, has grown to include 175 federal, state, local and international partners. To date, 794 pounds of fentanyl have been seized in Virginia, enough to kill every Virginian 10 times over, and over 5,300 pounds of fentanyl have been seized across all jurisdictions participating. Operation FREE 3.0 concluded in April 2025 and the fourth iteration will launch this October.

“The Virginia State Police is extremely proud of the work being done to combat violent crime, narcotic trafficking, and human trafficking across the Commonwealth,” said Colonel Matthew Hanley. “By leveraging the resources of our local, state, and federal public safety partners and applying intelligence led policing strategies, we are making our communities significantly safer.”

Additional Background on Virginia Homeland Security Task Force:

On February 27, Governor Youngkin signed Executive Order 47, directing the Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Corrections to sign 287(g) memoranda with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), empowering these agencies to directly enforce federal immigration law. ICE approved the agreements within 20 hours, reportedly a record. The Task Force is led by the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik S. Siebert, and includes personnel from the following agencies:

• U.S. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO)
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
• U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Service (DSS)
• Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
• U.S. Marshals Service (USMS)
• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (BATFE)
• U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and U.S. Customs Air Marine
• High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force
• Virginia State Police
• Virginia Department of Corrections

Joint federal-state operations will continue as partner agencies conduct long-term investigations into narcotics, violent gangs, and transnational organized crime under their respective authorities.

Additional Background on Operation Bold Blue Line

Operation Bold Blue Line was launched in 2022 with goal of strengthening law enforcement across 13 key cities with more support from VSP:

• Chesapeake
• Norfolk
• Richmond
• Newport News
• Hampton
• Roanoke
• Portsmouth
• Lynchburg
• Danville
• Petersburg
• Hopewell
• Martinsville
• Emporia

In addition to increased support from the Virginia State Police, OBBL has focused on increasing law enforcement pay, increasing training and equipment resources, new support for recruiting and officer wellness at DCJS, additional victim/witness support, and partnership with Operation Ceasefire prosecutors and community partners.