Federal law enforcement officials said on July 2 that 179 people were charged in 140 new cases in the Chicago and Rockford areas of Illinois.
The cases were part of the results of a 60-day project called Operation New Dawn, said Andrew S. Boutros, United States attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert Cekada, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), said at a press conference.
Boutros also accused local media and Cook County judges of contributing to the violent crime problem in northern Illinois.
Operation New Dawn’s main objective was to address violent crime. Boutros said the operation netted 305 fugitives, rescued 24 children, some of whom were kidnap victims, and hauled in a significant amount of illegal drugs and guns.
Those arrested were accused of a laundry list of violent crimes, including robbery, kidnapping, kidnapping resulting in death, firearms trafficking, firearm offenses, drug trafficking, immigration violations, child exploitation, among other federal crimes.
Boutros provided a selection of the charges that resulted from Operation New Dawn in “Top 5” reports from the ATF, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
These cases resulted in charges for murder, carjacking, fentanyl trafficking, firearms trafficking, and child sex offenses.
“We did all of this in 60 days, which is truly incredible,” Boutros said during the press conference.
In addition to his office, Boutros said the group included the ATF, FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, IRS, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force.
Boutros also commended the Chicago Police Department for its support.
Cekada echoed Boutros’s assessment of the operation.
Operation New Dawn’s “whole of government” approach shows that cooperation can yield tangible results, Cekada said. While the formal operation may be over, the agencies know they can’t stop working together, he said.
With the Independence Day celebrations and the flood of foreign tourists in the country for the FIFA World Cup, Cekada said all federal agencies expect to be busy.
“We also know we can’t let up on the gas,” Cekada said.
‘Badgeless’ Task Force
Boutros called the group a first-of-its-kind “badgeless” task force.
When the operation began, he instructed each member that they were working for their country and the community first, then their agency.
“This operation is described as ‘badgeless’ because multiple federal agencies came together under the banner of the United States flag as opposed to the shield of any agency,” a press release from Boutros’s office stated.
During the press conference, Boutros also criticized Cook County judges for what he alleged was their role in exacerbating the violent crime problem.
He said the judges routinely release criminals onto Chicago’s streets and said that, from his perspective, police and prosecutors were not the problem.
“We’ve got a problem with Cook County judges. How many cases have we taken time and time again where Cook County judges failed,” Boutros said.
He said the problem is made worse by media reports and called on the reporters present to hold the judges accountable.
“You should direct your questions over there.
“There’s been an incredible amount of reckless reporting in this room.”
