MILWAUKEE — Fifteen people in Milwaukee have been charged with what prosecutors say are violent crimes following Operation Legend's deployment to the city last June.
The United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced Friday that two people have been charged with narcotics-related offenses; 12 people have been charged with firearms-related offenses; and one person has been charged with "other violent crimes," according to a news release.
The operation was launched to crack down on what President Trump and Attorney General Bill Barr describe as rising violent crime in American cities. Members of the operation first deployed to Kansas City but the operation has since expanded to a number of large cities, inducing Chicago, Cleveland, Albuquerque, Detroit, St. Louis, Memphis, Indianapolis and Milwaukee.
Federal agents a part of the operation are tasked with working with state and local law enforcement.
The DOJ says since the operation began, a total of 2,000 arrests have been made. That includes 147 for homicide.
The DOJ continues that 544 firearms have been seized as well as more than seven kilograms of fentanyl, 14 kilograms of heroin, 12 kilograms of cocaine, and 50 kilograms of methamphetamine have been seized.
Of those arrested, 476 have been charged with federal offenses. Two hundred and forty-nine of those people have been charged with firearms offenses, while 185 have been charged with drug-related crimes, according to the DOJ.
“Through Operation Legend, federal resources are joined with state and local resources to reduce violent crime in Milwaukee and other cities,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew Krueger in a statement. “Operation Legend is already making a difference, leading to the apprehension of violent fugitives and the prosecution of crimes involving firearms, drug trafficking, and gangs.”
