Latest "safe summer" operation hit by Minneapolis Police recovers 13 firearms, 13K fentanyl pills

MINNEAPOLIS -- A task force made up of local, state and federal law enforcement officers is sharing results of its Operation Safe Summer initiative. 

From gun violence to drug sales, carjackings and gang turf battles, the Greater Minneapolis Violent Crime Initiative launched a summer safety project designed to bring safety back to the streets.

The latest operation hit a parking lot near West Broadway and Lyndale, known for open air drug dealing.

The detail recovered 13 firearms including two with auto sears - or "switches" - that allow a semi-automatic weapon to fire like an automatic one. 

Five stolen vehicles were recovered, two of them were carjacked. Twenty-one people were taken into custody, including a number of kids under 18 years old. Additionally, close to 13,000 fentanyl pills were confiscated.

"I'm really sad though we are at this point in our community especially when you got that many fentanyl pills when we are seeing our young people in the bus shelters passed out from smoking fentanyl," said Lisa Clemons, of A Mother's Love.

Some in the community are hoping details like these lead to real change.

"What people want right is to stop the bleeding in our community, to stop these overdoses in our community, the deaths in our community. We want to stop the carjackings, we want to stop all of that," Clemons said.

In June WCCO-TV rode with Operation Safe Summer during a five day sweep. That detail recovered 38 guns, 20 stolen vehicles and got drugs like marijuana, crack, meth, and fentanyl off the streets. Ninety-seven suspected criminals were also arrested.

"However we can stop the bleeding in our community however we can stop incarcerating people however we can stop killing people with drugs in our community, I'm in support of that," Clemons added.

As part of the effort, the U.S. Attorney for Minnesota will seek tougher punishments for gun and drug crimes.