This browser does not support the Video element.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Authorities are announcing additional racketeering charges against gang members on Wednesday as part of a broader crackdown on criminal rings throughout the Twin Cities.
You can watch the press conference in the player above.
Crime crackdown
In May 2023, authorities brought charges against 45 members of the Highs and Blood gangs. More charges followed in August, when 14 more gang members faced charges.
Earlier this month, three members of Minneapolis' Bloods gang were convicted of racketeering and firearm charges following a trial in federal court in St. Paul, marking the convictions in a broader federal crackdown on gangs in the city, targeting the Highs, Lows, and Bloods.
The Highs and Lows typically operate on Minneapolis' northside. The Bloods, on the other hand, work on the south side of the city, primarily near 38th and Chicago.
What they’ve said
In a provided statement, U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andrew Luger previously said:
"The Minneapolis Bloods gang is a violent criminal enterprise. As the evidence proved, the defendants convicted today were members of that enterprise, and they carried out violence and murder on its behalf. As Bloods members, the rules these defendants lived by superseded all criminal laws and social tenets, such as respect for human life or concern for public safety."