The Milwaukee Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service have announced the results of a months-long joint operation. “Operation North Star III” led to the arrest of 255 fugitives and the seizure of 103 fireams over 96 days.
That was nearly one fifth of all firearms recovered in the nationwide operation, which covered 20 cities across the U.S. According to U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Anna Ruzinski, that doesn’t mean that Milwaukee simply has more guns than other cities.
“Our task force does not simply go in and look for a wanted fugitive grab that person arrest them and leave the scene,” Ruzinski said. “If we see illegal evidence in that house as we are clearing it, as we are arresting that fugitive, we will then freeze that house, get a search warrant and we will get those illegal items off the street.
Ruzinski highlighted a statistic she said she’s particularly proud of: there were no injuries to any civilians, law enforcement officers, or suspects during the operation.
The Eastern District’s Fugitive Task Force collaborated with MPD on Operation North Star, with the Task Force’s location close to a High Intesity Drug Trafficking Area giving the operation what Ruzinski called a “force multiplier” – giving the team more resources to pursue arrests.
Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman said the department closed 417 warrants, including 37 for homicide, as part of Operation North Star III.
“This is not just a fishnet of sorts,” Norman said. “We are looking at those who have the unfortunate history, those who have the unfortunate intel of their behaviors, and we’re utilizing great work between the local and federal level to make an impact.”
With the involvement of the Marshals, the task force was able to make arrests and pursue cases even when the search for suspects stretched beyond the borders of the City of Milwaukee and MPD’s jurisdiction. Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Scott Keller broke down several cases that particularly highlighted the reach of the task force:
- Anthony Ross was arrested by the task force in Oklahoma City on September 12th. He was a suspect in a domestic violence homicide that happened on June 11th near 84th and Marion. A 24-year-old woman was killed. While Ross has not been charged with murder, he is facing weapons charges in Milwaukee in addition to armed robbery charges in Oklahoma City.
- Adalyn Burkett, and her boyfriend, Marquan Edwards, were charged with two counts of neglecting a child in Milwaukee after a one-year-old and two-year-old were left unattended at a park near 28th and Clarke streets on June 25. Burkett and Edwards drove the two kids from Panama City, Florida to Milwaukee the week prior after Burkett babysat them. She was a friend of the children’s mother, who allowed her to use her vehicle, which was stolen along with the children. Keller said their investigation led them to a residence in Milwaukee where the pair were arrested after being found hiding in a closet. They are also facing charges in Panama City.
Milwaukee was also involved in the second phase of Operation North Star, where 114 fugitives were arrested by January 2023. Norman said the increase in arrests this time around is not due to an increase in violent crime, but increased effort and efficiency of the task force.
“Like fine wine, it only gets better,” Norman said.
According to the Milwaukee Police Department’s statistics, homicides and aggravated assaults are down so far this year. Norman stressed that this is not due to one specific operation or factor, but is a combination of many things including daily law enforcement work, community work, and operations like North Star.
“We will hold people accountable. We will go after those who are not respecting the safety in our respective cities,” Norman said.
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