Over 250 violent fugitives have been arrested as part of a two-month federal initiative in eastern Wisconsin
More than 250 violent offenders were arrested across eastern Wisconsin this summer during a two-month initiative to track down wanted fugitives by 15 local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
The arrests, which totaled 268 from late May through July, were announced Friday by the U.S. Marshals Service. They come as violent crime has continued at an elevated pace nationally and at a historic pace in Milwaukee, where the vast majority of those arrested were wanted.
The initiative, called Operation Triple Beam Honey Badger, also targeted violent fugitives wanted in Waukesha, Racine, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Green Bay, Oshkosh and Appleton. No injuries were reported during any of the arrests.
“Criminals don’t know (jurisdictions),” said Anna Ruzinski, the U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “They go all over and do what they can to abscond and not be found, so through the task force we are able to find them, get them and take them into custody.”
Fugitives faced hundreds of warrants for violent offenses across eastern Wisconsin
Those arrested were connected to a total of 860 warrants or tentative charges, according to the Marshals Service. They included 47 for homicide, 81 for recklessly endangering safety and 60 for sex crimes. Of the 268 people apprehended, at least 122 were legally barred from possessing guns and now face tentative firearms-related charges.
The Marshals Service did not have exact figures on how many of the suspects were wanted in Milwaukee County. Eighty-six of the suspects are confirmed members of gangs or other organized criminal enterprises.
Guns and narcotics also seized during the arrests
Law enforcement seized 84 guns during the initiative. Deputy U.S. Marshal Jeremy Loesch said he did not have exact figures but noted that “many” of them were ghost guns.
Other property seized during the initiative included 56 kilograms of narcotics, with a street value between $750,000 and $1.1 million.
The initiative is part of a nationwide effort by the U.S. Justice Department and other federal agencies to focus resources on a surge in violent crime that has plagued community across the nation since 2020. In Milwaukee, where homicides have unfolded at an unprecedented pace each of the last three years, clearance rates have fallen as a result, down from 77% in 2019 to 52% as of June 2022.
To clear a case, an individual must be arrested, charged and turned over for prosecution, according to the FBI’s crime reporting standards. Cases can also be cleared by exceptional means. For example, when a suspect has been identified but cannot be arrested because they cannot be located or have already died.
“It’s refreshing to know that when an individual in our community commits one of the worst crimes you can do, we can call on the Marshals here and they’re going to make that a priority for us,” said Assistant Chief Paul Formolo of the Milwaukee Police Department.
Operation North Star was another initiative in other states involving the Marshals Service
The initiative is similar in concept to Operation North Star, another enforcement campaign involving the Marshals Service that occurred over a 30-day period in 10 cities with high rates of homicides and gun violence. Milwaukee was not included in that effort.
In Chicago, the nearest city that was part of the campaign, law enforcement netted 156 arrests and the seizure of four guns and 1.8 kilograms of narcotics, according to the Marshals Service. The arrests included 14 homicide suspects and 33 sexual assault suspects.
Nationally, Operation North Star resulted in the arrest of 1,501 fugitives wanted for homicide, sexual assault, robbery or aggravated assault, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. More than 160 firearms were seized.
Contact Elliot Hughes at elliot.hughes@jrn.com or 414-704-8958. Follow him on Twitter @elliothughes12.
Stay in the know. Sign up to get NewsWatch delivered to your inbox every afternoon.
Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.
DOWNLOAD THE APP: Get the latest news, sports and more
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Violent fugitives arrested as part of federal operation in Wisconsin
