Project Big Freeze: Mexican Posse

The metro Milwaukee area is safer thanks to Project Big Freeze, a nationwide operation against gangs.

From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

The suspected leader of the Mexican Posse street gang is among 21 people arrested in the Milwaukee area as part of a nationwide initiative called Project Big Freeze that's led to the arrest of 476 people across the country, federal officials announced Wednesday.

Working with local and state officials, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement led the operation, which took place in 83 cities across the country focusing on gangs with ties to drug trafficking organizations, said Gail Montenegro, speaking for the immigration agency in Chicago.

Of the 21 arrested in metro Milwaukee between Jan. 19 and Jan. 21, 14 are in ICE custody and pending removal proceedings, she said. The remaining seven were arrested by Milwaukee police on outstanding warrants and state drug charges, she said.

Most of those arrested here have extensive criminal histories, she said.

Among those arrested is a 40-year-old illegal immigrant believed to be the leader of the Mexican Posse gang in Milwaukee. He has prior convictions for drug possession and was previously arrested for attempting to flee from law enforcement, Montenegro said in a news release.

"Street gangs pose a growing public safety threat to communities throughout the Milwaukee metropolitan area," said Gary Hartwig, special agent in charge of the ICE office of investigations in Chicago, which oversees Wisconsin.

Project Big Freeze took place in 83 cities, and achieved 476 arrests.

Twenty-one of those arrests were made in the Milwaukee area alone. That high number should give southeastern Wisconsin residents pause in terms of the prevalence of gang activity.

It's great that the suspected leader of the Mexican Posse has been arrested.

Of course, he's been arrested and convicted before.

Most of the 21 people arrested from the Milwaukee area have "extensive criminal histories."

There's that revolving door again.