MILWAUKEE — A months-long operation took the worst of the worst off our streets.
From the Illinois border to Green Bay, more than 260 people were arrested, along with about $1 million worth of drugs seized.
The U.S. Marshal's Office deputized local law enforcement to be part of "Operation Triple Beam Honey Badger."
It resulted in 268 arrests, which include narcotics, murder and sex offender charges.
Law enforcement touted pulling heroin, fentanyl and cocaine off the streets. Exactly where any of these operations took place remains a mystery.
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Raphael Mercado with T.E.A.M. H.A.V.O.C. which stands for Together Everyone Achieves More Helping Another Volunteer or Cause wants to see even more.
"The issue ain't the drug dealers, they're always going to be there. It's the demand. The demand is so high right now, bad economy, COVID hurt a lot of people," said Mercado.
Mercado's grassroots organization spreads awareness throughout the Clarke Square Neighborhood to get people to stay away from drugs, all while learning what could be next, adding, "We keep in contact with the drug dealers, we keep in contact with the girls of the street and your average user, because we need to know what the trends are so we can act accordingly."
Along with enforcement, he hopes there will be more treatment facilities for those who are addicted in the City of Milwaukee.
"Those are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he said. "They're fully staffed with a psychiatrist doctors nurses and they work in conjunction with the police department."
The U.S. marshals say the work is far from over.
They say they are working closely with the justice system to ensure the charges against the suspects stick.
