Law-enforcement officials in Augusta have arrested more than 70 people in an operation aimed at reducing gang violence, according to a report.

Operation Chip Shot resulted in 50 arrests in Rich­mond County and 17 in South Carolina, Virginia and Mary­land, the Augusta Chronicle reported. Seven sex offenders also were arrested for violating probation.

Authorities identified possible suspects through investigations, by searching social media, and by focusing on areas with known gang problems, according to the report.

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A man rides a bicycle in the rain along 10th Street in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)