Minneapolis police say arrests of alleged gang members took years of street work

MINNEAPOLIS -- It took years of street-level work to make the federal case against the Minneapolis street gangs. The US Attorney's Office says agents arrested and charged 45 alleged gang members.

Working with Safe Streets, Sgt. David Ligneel came to know gang members and how they move.

"I've been working on the various members of the gangs that comprise the Highs since 2009," Ligneel said.

He was selected to work alongside US Attorneys to help stop the violence associated with street gangs.

"If it's three or more people and you are all benefitting from the crimes you are doing, then you are able to be federally prosecuted as an organization or group," Ligneel said.

Minneapolis is the territory of three of those groups: The Highs, the Lows, and the Bloods.

Charges against members of the Highs and Bloods include more than 20 shootings and seven murders.

"I am all about trying to have community-based solutions," Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said. "I'm all about trying to intervene and trying to prevent violence before it occurs. But at the same time, we have to face reality and there is really just an unacceptable amount of gun violence in the city, and to an extent, some of it is organized by criminal street gangs."

O'Hara says state, local and federal officials had no choice but to throw everything at them

"They are making a lot of money and we are not holding back at all. The IRS was involved in this. The postal inspectors. I mean, we're looking at white-collar crimes and throwing those on there also," O'Hara said.

O'Hara says the collaboration of law enforcement in Minnesota resembled the days of old.

"...A war room of sort of like prosecutors did years ago, prosecuting the Gambino family," O'Hara said.

Connecting gangs to organized crime includes a years-long pattern of violence, including murders, shootings, acts of retaliation against rival gang members, dealings in fentanyl and robberies.

"Because of all the work the attorneys, the investigators, information from the community, as well as other pieces of evidence in the case, I think it will stick, yes," Ligneel said.

O'Hara says more charges are in the works, so expect more arrests of members of Minneapolis street gangs.