Chicago law enforcement officials announced Friday the arrests of nearly 100 alleged street gang members and 40 others for weapons and drug trafficking charges in a two-day sting operation, according to the Associated Press.
Approximately 117 of those arrested had been on the city police department’s “Strategic Subject List,” which lists people likely to carry out a gun-related crime or be a victim of one.
Police seized 26 illegal guns and more than $45,000 in narcotics, including heroin and cocaine, according to Chicago Police Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.
The move was part of the city’s efforts to counter violence in the Windy City. The homicide rate in Chicago was up 84 percent in the first few months of 2016 compared to last year’s numbers.
Chicago has weathered a tough year since video footage of a police officer fatally shooting Laquan McDonald prompted protests in the city’s streets and a federal investigation into the city’s handling of the incident.
