14 Arrested in Sprawling Milwaukee Drug Trafficking Case
Murder, nine-mile chase, firearms, cocaine and fentanyl.
West Allis police chief Patrick Mitchell speaks during a press conference on Jan. 29, 2025. Evan Casey/WPR
Fourteen people were arrested Wednesday as part of an investigation into a drug trafficking scheme in the Milwaukee area.
Local and state law enforcement officials released few details about the operation, but said they found 12 firearms, around 1 kilogram of cocaine and 4 ounces of fentanyl while executing search warrants Wednesday morning.
A joint statement from the Wisconsin Department of Justice and the West Allis Police Department said 19 people have been charged so far for manufacturing and delivering fentanyl, heroin and cocaine as part of the investigation. The criminal complaints are sealed because of sensitive information, according to Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern.
The investigation began after a traffic stop in West Allis in June 2023. West Allis Police Chief Patrick Mitchell said drugs found in the vehicle eventually led to a wider investigation involving multiple agencies.
“That is the beginning of this multi-defendant, multi-county, multi-jurisdictional case,” Mitchell said during a press conference Wednesday.
Around 200 law enforcement officers from over 10 agencies executed 11 residential search warrants and one business search warrant Wednesday.
Mitchell said they’re still searching for the other people who were charged but not arrested. He said more people will likely be charged in the future.
“There is a lot of steps left in this process,” Mitchell said.
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said the case involves, “some of the most dangerous drugs there are.” The majority of overdose deaths in the U.S. now involve fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s around 100 times stronger than morphine.
There were over 400 overdose deaths in Milwaukee County in 2024.
“We know that substance use disorder has upended countless lives and caused harms in communities across the country,” Kaul said during the press conference.
“What today, I think, is such a great example of, is the importance of complex, long-term, intensive investigations into large scale drug trafficking and the importance of collaboration,” he said.
Mitchell didn’t offer any more details on where the drug operation is based or how many more people are involved.
“So that common fabric is the drug dealing that is occurring between all of the individuals working together,” he said.
Mitchell said officers also found a 3D printer and a “ghost gun” at one of the homes where officers executed search warrants Wednesday. Ghost guns are untraceable and can be self-assembled, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a national gun violence prevention organization.
The statement said some people who were arrested were also charged with bail jumping, maintaining a drug trafficking place, second degree recklessly endangering safety and possession of a firearm by a felon.
“Other charges related to this drug trafficking operation illustrate the violence that often accompanies drug dealing,” Lovern said.
Drug trafficking case in Milwaukee area leads to 14 arrests was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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