Nearly a month into a federal law enforcement surge in Kansas City called Operation LeGend, the acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration visited Kansas City this week to speak with local officials about the operation.DEA Acting Administrator Tim Shea spoke with KMBC 9 Investigates Wednesday about Operation LeGend's effectiveness. The newly appointed administrator said the operation is a much-needed remedy for Kansas City police to keep up with violent crime in the city."They've recognized that the situation they're presented with is a tsunami of violent crime that they need help in addressing," Shea said.Shea added that several of Kansas City's crime issues are related to drug trafficking that his agency can help combat.Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice sent more than 200 federal agents and law enforcement officials from the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Marshals office to Kansas City, citing a rise in violence. The operation is named after 4-year-old LeGend Taliferro, who was shot and killed while sleeping in his Kansas City bedroom in June. It has netted 97 arrests, the U.S. attorney's office announced last week, citing federal charges in 11 cases. The operation has expanded to other cities across the country.Still, community groups have debated the operation's scope and effectiveness, and denounced how federal officials have withheld names of individuals arrested in the operation.Shea answered questions about recent protests against Operation LeGend that have criticized more federal police presence in Kansas City. He also denied that Operation LeGend is part of a plan to score political points for the Trump Administration ahead of the November election."This has nothing to do with that," Shea said. "This has to do with the violent crime that's occurring in these cities, including Kansas City. I mean, the numbers speak for themselves."As of Wednesday, Kansas City tallied 116 homicides, a 35% increase from this time last year. Federal officials have announced the arrest of five homicide suspects as a result of the operation so far, but have not published their names. Missouri Western District U.S. Attorney Tim Garrison told KMBC Tuesday that federal officials will not publicize names of all suspects for law enforcement security reasons. Meanwhile, Shea would not commit to an end date for Operation LeGend due to operational security, but he did say to expect more arrests."Over time, you'll see more complex investigations, and arrests coming down the road," he said.KMBC will continue to talk to local and federal officials about Operation LeGend, keeping tabs on how local and federal officials report cases. If you have a tip about the operation, contact investigative reporter Matt Flener at investigates@kmbc.com.