MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul today joined a coalition of law enforcement agencies in announcing the charging of a significant cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl trafficking operation between Puerto Rico and Milwaukee. The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Matthew D. Krueger, has charged 26 individuals with trafficking at least five kilograms or more of cocaine as well as distributable quantities of trafficking heroin and fentanyl.

“This case shows the impact that intensive investigations targeting large-scale drug trafficking can have,” said Attorney General Kaul. “When local, state, and federal investigators work together, as they have in this case, we can disrupt the supply of narcotics to Wisconsin and help people avoid addiction. Thank you to the brave law enforcement professionals at DCI and other agencies who have worked on this case.”

Yesterday, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers arrested 22 of these defendants. The officers also executed search warrants in both Milwaukee and Puerto Rico resulting in the seizure of approximately 15 kilograms of cocaine, at least 50 grams of heroin, at least 80 grams of crack cocaine, 35 firearms (25 handguns, 8 rifles, 1 fully automatic handgun, and 1 sawed off shotgun) and approximately $267,000 in U.S. currency.

The defendants charged in this law enforcement action, called Operation Island Hopper, are:

The defendants were charged based on a multi-year investigation led by law enforcement agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the City of New Berlin Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Brady and Gail Hoffman.

The public is cautioned that an indictment is merely a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.