Operation Scoreboard targeted the 23rd Street Gang after investigators reviewed years of shootings, drug trafficking and other alleged crimes.
FORT PIERCE, FL — An 18-month investigation into a Fort Pierce street gang has led to about 40 arrests, including 11 people taken into custody on racketeering charges during a coordinated law enforcement operation Wednesday, authorities said Thursday.
The investigation, called Operation Scoreboard, targeted the 23rd Street Gang, which law enforcement officials described as one of the most violent gangs operating in the Fort Pierce area. Investigators said the organization has an estimated 70 to 80 documented members and has been linked to nearly 100 shootings over roughly a decade. Authorities said investigators used Florida’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization law, commonly known as RICO, to examine alleged connections involving violent crime, drug trafficking, fraud and other offenses.
Officials gave slightly different totals for the arrests connected to the investigation. Some reports from Thursday’s announcement described 40 arrests, while others placed the number at nearly 40. Fort Pierce Police Chief David Smith said 22 arrests had been made during the 18-month investigation before officers executed the latest search warrants. Eleven people were arrested on RICO charges Wednesday, while two related warrants remained outstanding Thursday. Authorities did not immediately provide a complete public breakdown explaining how each arrest fit into the overall total.
The investigation began about 18 months ago as the Fort Pierce Police Department and St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office examined activity associated with the gang. Smith said detectives ultimately reviewed about 10 years of criminal incidents and relationships among people believed to be connected to the organization. Authorities said the investigation identified an alleged criminal conspiracy involving 13 gang members and activity that included fraud, drug trafficking, shootings and homicides. Those accusations remain allegations, and the people arrested are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Investigators said the operation received its name after authorities learned that gang members allegedly maintained a scoreboard tracking shootings and homicides. Sheriff Richard Del Toro said investigators believe the gang’s conduct had caused years of fear in parts of the Fort Pierce community. Police Capt. Kyle MacCarthy said investigators focused on people they considered leaders or key figures within the organization rather than attempting to arrest every person identified as a gang member.
The latest enforcement action unfolded early Wednesday as officers served five search warrants, including four in Fort Pierce and one in Port St. Lucie. Residents in parts of Fort Pierce reported hearing loud bangs and seeing a heavy police presence as tactical teams moved into neighborhoods. Before details of the investigation were released, the sheriff’s office said residents could expect an increased law enforcement presence but that officials were not aware of a continuing threat to the public.
Authorities said the Wednesday searches resulted in the seizure of seven firearms, more than $18,000 in cash and quantities of marijuana, cocaine and MDMA. Across the wider 18-month investigation, Smith said law enforcement seized 18 firearms, about 20 pounds of marijuana and more than a pound of cocaine. Officials did not publicly attribute every seized item to a specific defendant during Thursday’s announcement.
The operation involved several local, state and federal agencies. The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Pierce Police Department worked with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and federal partners. The broader enforcement effort also involved agencies including the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Officials said the cooperation allowed investigators to combine information from years of incidents and pursue cases under state racketeering law.
Authorities tied people associated with the 23rd Street Gang to nearly 100 shootings during the period reviewed by investigators, though officials did not provide a case-by-case list showing which shootings had resulted in charges or convictions. MacCarthy said Fort Pierce has other gangs but described the 23rd Street Gang as its most violent. Law enforcement officials said the organization has operated in northern St. Lucie County for years.
Del Toro and Smith said Operation Scoreboard is not expected to mark the end of enforcement efforts targeting organized crime in St. Lucie County. Two warrants connected with the racketeering portion of the case remained outstanding Thursday, and officials said additional investigations and arrests could follow. The criminal cases stemming from the operation will proceed through the courts as prosecutors determine how to handle the allegations against each defendant.
Author note: Last updated November 5, 2026.