Know what's better than heading into a great weekend when we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence? Doing so while knowing, with a great deal of satisfaction, that 179 goblins are now in the hoosegow and facing multiple charges. Operation New Dawn, in the Chicago area, has been a big success: A total of 305 arrests, with the noted 179 facing federal charges, and 24 kids recovered.
That's a great way to start this great weekend.
"The operation resulted in 305 arrests and the recovery of 24 children, many of whom had been reported kidnapped or missing"
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 2, 2026
Operation New Dawn: 179 charged in massive Chicago anti-violence crackdown https://t.co/EoK6oV8Xk2
Fox32 Chicago has more details.
Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that 179 people have been charged in connection with violent crimes as part of a new initiative aimed at disrupting violence during the spring and summer months.
Called "Operation New Dawn," the effort brought together 11 federal agencies under what officials called a first-of-its-kind "badgeless" model that emphasized cooperation across agencies.
For roughly two months starting around May 1, authorities filed 140 new federal cases against 179 people accused of crimes such as robbery, kidnapping, gun trafficking, drug trafficking, child exploitation, immigration violations and other violent offenses.
The operation resulted in 305 arrests and the recovery of 24 children, many of whom had been reported kidnapped or missing, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
That right there is what you might call a good start. The best part is the rescue of those 24 children; we probably don't want to imagine what those kids have been through.
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(US Attorney Andrew ) Boutros described the initiative as a new approach to federal crime fighting in Chicago, with agencies operating under "the United States flag and not the shield, badge, banner, or logo of any agency."
"As the name New Dawn embodies, it's the dawn of a new federal law enforcement era when it comes to combating violent crime in the Northern District of Illinois and being responsive to the people of the District, who want to be and feel safe," Boutros said.
It's a great bust, and with any luck, some of the goblins will give up some others that are still on the streets.
This effort focused on the worst of the worst: Drug dealers, repeat offenders, and we might note that repeat offenders are all too often on the streets after offenses numbering in the double digits. But these ones are facing federal charges, now, and hopefully they'll be looking at a long stretch looking at steel bars from the inside.
The organizations involved in this include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, among others. The Chicago Police Department worked with the feds to get this done as well.
To all involved: Sharp work, and happy Independence Day! Have an extra beer on Saturday; you've earned it.
Editor’s Note: The American people overwhelmingly support President Trump’s law and order agenda.
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