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The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A Nashville-based Homeland Security Task Force will target fentanyl trafficking and gang violence across Middle Tennessee according to acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Robert McGuire.
In a press conference held at the end of last week, McGuire announced the official public launch of the task force while flanked by representatives from more than 15 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies involved in efforts to combat transnational criminal activity.
McGuire said that the idea behind the task force is to bring all of these agencies together, all with their own areas of expertise, to target fentanyl trafficking and overdoses, gang violence, and to halt the influx of firearms and illegal drugs into Middle Tennessee communities.
The agencies have been working together toward these goals for months already.
During the press conference, federal and state officials also announced indictments against 38 individuals on a variety of federal charges including drug trafficking of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine, as well as federal firearms violations, attacks on law enforcement officials, carjacking, immigration offenses, and more.
Of those arrested, eight are known members or associates of MS-13. Several of the 38 people arrested are believed to be illegal aliens. However, McGuire said that the main focus of the task force will not be illegal immigration but drugs and violent crimes.
Of the successful investigations that have already been concluded, “Operation We Will Rock You” dismantled a fentanyl pipeline funneling drugs into the state.
Cumberland County Sheriff Casey Cox stated the work of a local narcotics investigator led to the discovery of the major drug trafficking organization operating within Middle Tennessee, about 100 miles east of Nashville, and the arrests of 20 drug dealers.
Last week, Reuters reported that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is looking into the possibility of opening a National Call Center in Nashville.
Designed to handle an anticipated 6,000 to 7,000 calls per day, the potential center would assist law enforcement with locating unaccompanied children who are in the country legally.
McGuire has said that the ICE center, anticipated to open by the middle of 2026, is not connected to the efforts of the Homeland Security Task Force.
Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Chief John Drake welcomes the assistance of federal and local partners in the fight against violent crime.
Drake said that a little over two years ago, MNPD saw a rise in violent crime connected to MS-13 which involved homicides as well as non-deadly shootings. Together with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, MNPD formed a task force last year to combat MS-13 related violence.
Nashville’s task force is like those created last week in Little Rock, Arkansas; Dallas, Texas; and Indianapolis, Indiana. Made up of personnel from the United States Department of Homeland Security, Alcohol, Fire and Tobacco (ATF), the Army Criminal Investigative Division, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, the FBI, MNPD, and other local agencies, the task force will be led by the United States Department of Justice.
Additional Sources:
https://www.memphisflyer.com/nashville-gets-trump-task-force-like-memphis
https://www.wsmv.com/2025/11/07/department-homeland-security-launches-task-force-based-nashville
https://www.wsmv.com/2025/11/06/us-creating-homeland-security-task-force-nashville
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
