FBI’s Big Sweep: Five days, numerous cities and one big bite out of crime

Director Kash Patel’s FBI has been building fresh alliances with local police for months, and that effort is now paying big dividends as a sweeping crime crackdown disabled illegal enterprises in cities nationwide that hit everything from the Mafia to drug cartels.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino gave a weekend update that added new details on the national crackdown, including an operation Friday code-named “Chalkline” that used 14 SWAT teams to penetrate street gangs that had been terrorizing Milwaukee and Racine in southeastern Wisconsin.

Officials said the raids around Milwaukee were the product of years-long investigations that tied the gangs to global trafficking cartels.

Operation Chalkline was a "long-term multi-year criminal enterprise investigation that targeted a violent street gang operating in Milwaukee and Racine with direct connections to a major international cartel," the FBI's Milwaukee office said in a statement.

It netted 22 arrests plus the confiscation of many weapons and drugs, officials said.

Bongino said the recent successes in such cities as Milwaukee, New York, Philadelphia and San Antonio were the outgrowth of enhanced partnerships with local police departments through Homeland Security task forces and that many more are forthcoming. 

"Early on in his term, President Trump made clear to Director Patel and me that he would not tolerate criminal disorder, gang violence, organized crime or unsafe streets," Bongino wrote on X. "He told us in clear and certain terms, 'go get em boys.' And, along with our dedicated federal, state and local partners, we did."

He also wrote: "We rescued thousands of children, arrested nearly 30,000 violent criminals, seized thousands of kilos of dangerous street poison, and we investigated and arrested factions of the mafia, foreign terror organizations, and violent street gang leaders."

The Milwaukee operation provided insights on how the partnerships work.

Officials said the raids involved work by the Racine County Sheriff’s Office and the Caledonia, Mount Pleasant and Racine police departments.

The partnerships, known as Homeland Security Task Forces, bring together FBI and HSI personnel—as well as task force officers from local, state, and federal partner agencies—to investigate transnational organized crime activity such as drug trafficking and human trafficking, the FBI said.

"Transnational organized crime is a complex and constantly-evolving threat—and it demands an equally sophisticated and agile response," Patel said. "Homeland Security Task Forces are at the forefront of the U.S. government's fight to keep the tentacles of international gang, cartel, and transnational criminal organization activity from reaching our shores and victimizing innocent Americans.

"The FBI is proud to be leading this charge alongside Homeland Security Investigations and our state, local, and federal interagency partners in support of President Trump's executive order and of Attorney General Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Noem's collective vision for these specialized squads," he added. "Together, we'll continue to disrupt and dismantle these foreign terrorist organizations, bring their members and collaborators to justice, and restore law and order in our communities. Let's get after it.”

The week-long sweeps resulted in nearly 100 arrests in a dozen cities, with the highest profile being more than 30 arrests in what authorities said was a Mafia-led gambling ring that impacted sports betting and included an NBA coach and player.

Bongino said other major operations included:

• Agents in Philadelphia taking down a drug trafficking ring in the Kensington neighborhood in which over 30 members of the Weymouth Street Crew were charged with conspiracy to commit drug trafficking.
• Agents in San Antonio and Albuquerque arresting three subjects, conducting four search warrants and seizing over $2 million in illegal narcotics, including THC/vape pens, over $182,000 in bulk cash, 11 firearms and four vehicles.  
• Agents in Salt Lake City who arrested four individuals for illegal gambling and money laundering, executed one federal search warrant, and assisted in 116 immigration arrests. 

Patel announced earlier this month that FBI has arrested more than 28,630 violent criminals so far in 2025, a massive jump over prior years.