Ten alleged members of a Minneapolis gang accused of “terrorizing” a city neighborhood have been charged with a range of federal crimes including possession of a machine gun and drug trafficking, law enforcement officials announced Tuesday. The charges are the latest move in an ongoing federal initiative that began two years ago to crack down on violent crime in Minnesota, U.S.
Attorney Andy Luger told reporters. “Our federal resources are focused on holding accountable those who threaten the safety of our communities,” Luger said. “My message to the community: We are working for you, for your families and your children, to make sure violent crime continues to drop and we can all enjoy our beautiful cities this summer.
” Many of the cases prosecutors have brought under the initiative have involved the prosecution of gang members in north and south Minneapolis. Before Tuesday, federal prosecutors had already charged more than 70 alleged gang members, Luger said. Last year, authorities set their sights on three Minneapolis-based gangs.
The first round of charges was announced in May 2023, when federal authorities said 45 people had been charged for crimes including seven homicides, drug trafficking and firearms violations. Then in August of that year, 14 more alleged members of Minneapolis-based gangs were charged. Tuesday’s charges involved a fourth gang.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said his department’s gun investigations unit and the FBI caught win.
