Operation Flagship

Operation Flagship was a special plan made by the United States Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C.. On December 15, 1985, they caught 101 people who were wanted for different crimes.

These people agreed to go to the Washington Convention Center because they thought they were going to get two free tickets to watch the Washington Redskins play against the Cincinnati Bengals in an American football game. They also thought they could win tickets to the big Super Bowl XX. But really, it was a trick! The police were waiting for them.

About 166 police officers and marshals were part of this plan. Some of them dressed up like ushers, cheerleaders, emcees, caterers, mascots, and even maintenance staff. This operation is remembered as one of the biggest and most successful times when many wanted people were caught all at once by U.S. law enforcement.

Background

From 1981 to 1986, the U.S. Marshals Service carried out a series of nine operations called Fugitive Investigative Strike Team (FIST) operations. Their goal was to capture thousands of wanted people across the United States.

One smart way the U.S. Marshals brought in fugitives was by offering something for free. This worked well. For example, in 1984 during FIST VII, fugitives in New York City got notices from a made-up company called the Brooklyn Bridge Delivery Service, telling them they had valuable packages to pick up. In Buffalo, they were told they had won a lottery prize between $250 and $10,000. In Hartford, Connecticut, younger fugitives were told they had won two free tickets to a Boy George concert, plus dinner and a limousine. Whenever they came to collect what they thought was theirs, they were arrested. This made it safer for the marshals because fugitives were often not armed when away from home.

Preparations

Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Tobias P. Roche and U.S. Marshal Herbert M. Rutherford III came up with an idea while having dinner. They noticed how much people loved the Washington Redskins, especially how hard it was to get tickets for their games. They focused on the big game on December 15 between the Redskins and the Cincinnati Bengals.

They decided to send invitations to about 3,000 people who were wanted for different crimes. These invitations were from a made-up company called Flagship International Sports Television. The invite said the recipients could get two free tickets to the game and a chance to win more tickets and a trip to New Orleans to watch the Super Bowl.

The plan was so well done that even a lawyer for the real broadcasters tried to stop it, thinking the made-up company didn’t have the right to run the event. The police officers practiced for six weeks to make sure everything went smoothly.

Operation

On December 15, 1985, police and marshals set up a special event at the Washington Convention Center. They told wanted people they could win tickets to a big football game just by showing up. When the people arrived, officers in disguise checked their IDs and then quickly took them aside one group at a time. When a special signal was given, more officers would come in and arrest the people quietly. In the end, 101 people who were wanted by the law were arrested without any trouble. The officers even wore fun costumes like football team fans to keep things calm and make sure everyone stayed safe.

Main article: first Super Bowl win
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Aftermath and legacy

Reporters from CBS and the Los Angeles Times helped share news about the operation with the public. The leader of the U.S. Marshals Service at the time thanked them for helping more people learn about their work.

The operation led to many arrests for different kinds of crimes. Later, two of the people who helped with the operation went on to become leaders in the U.S. Marshals Service.

In later years, the story of Operation Flagship was told in documentaries and even inspired scenes in movies and television shows.