Mia Williams
Twenty-four missing children have been safely located following a federal law enforcement initiative targeting crime in Chicago, with more than 300 people arrested.
The initiative, dubbed 'Operation New Dawn', brought together officers from 11 federal law enforcement agencies to target suspects accused of a wide range of crimes, including robbery, kidnapping, murder, fentanyl trafficking, drug trafficking, child exploitation and other offences.
Other suspects swept up in the operation included those involving in gun trafficking, gun offenses and immigration violations, according to the US attorney’s statement.
Following the initial arrests on July 2, 179 individuals have now been charged, and 24 children, many of whom had been allegedly kidnapped by gangs, have been safely returned home to their families.
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The operation began on May 1, and involved the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and others.
In a statement, Christopher Amon, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Chicago Field Division, said: "The success of Operation New Dawn reflects the leadership of the US Attorney's Office and the trust, commitment, and collaboration among our Chicago federal law enforcement partners."
FBI director Kash Patel also spoke with Fox News following the crackdown, as he noted: "Operation New Dawn represents a massive, whole-of-government approach under President Trump’s leadership to cracking down on violent crimes and crimes against children in great American cities."
The director added: "The success of this op and more to come through initiatives like Summer Heat 2.0 should be a clear message that this FBI, our partners and the Justice Department led by AG Todd Blanche are full throttle on crushing criminal networks in this country no matter where they are."
Officials described the operation as 'badgeless', meaning that officers worked together under the banner of the United States flag rather than their own departments.
Todd C. Smith, special agent in charge of the DEA Chicago Field Division, also said in a statement: "Reducing violent crime remains one of DEA’s top strategic priorities, and the significant drug seizures resulting from this operation underscore the close relationship between violence and drug trafficking activity."
In their report, the US Attorney's Office noted that the charges are still allegations, and that all defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.