MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN — A federal program used by law enforcement agencies to track drug-trafficking operations in Wisconsin and Minnesota was hacked last week, temporarily locking Milwaukee officers out of a major crime-fighting database, according to sources familiar with the incident.
Federal Drug-Trafficking Network Breached
The breach targeted the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program — a nationwide network of federal, state, and local agencies designed to combat major narcotics activity.
Multiple law enforcement sources told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the hack occurred on Nov. 21, affecting the HIDTA system used in the North Central region.
Officers reportedly lost access to records stored within the system, though the cause and origin of the breach remain unknown…