Attorney General Eric Holder released the following statement Wednesday on the 225thanniversary of the U.S. Marshals Service:

"Today, we recognize a legacy of achievement by America's oldest federal law enforcement agency, the United States Marshals Service.  For 225 years, the Marshals Service has occupied a unique and valued position in our country's judicial system.  This nation has relied upon U.S. Marshals and their deputies at pivotal moments in our history, and each time, the men and women of this great organization have risen to the challenge.  On this anniversary, we remember their efforts in establishing order in the Wild West, in restoring a divided nation following the Civil War, in desegregating America's schools, and in enforcing civil rights legislation.

"These brave men and women continue their fight for justice today, remaining dedicated to their traditional missions of securing our courts, tracking and apprehending fugitives, detaining and transporting federal prisoners, protecting federal witnesses, and seizing criminal assets.  The agency continues to evolve technologically and strategically to meet current law enforcement challenges, while still holding true to its core values of "justice, integrity and service."  I thank these dedicated professionals for their sacrifice and commitment to justice."

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