A pre-dawn law enforcement sweep turned a quiet Milwaukee barber shop into the center of a major drug case on Tuesday, as federal and local agents hauled out 18 pounds of methamphetamine and other narcotics from a storefront near North 44th Street and West Center Street. Neighbors said they watched windows shatter while officers moved evidence out of the building, which doubles as a barber shop and beauty salon. Two people were arrested, and authorities say they also seized fentanyl, cocaine and at least one firearm. Federal charges are pending, as reported by WISN 12 News.
According to WISN 12 News, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Milwaukee District Office said it teamed up with the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department, the Milwaukee Police Department and the West Allis Police Department to execute search warrants at four locations starting around 6 a.m. Aerial footage from the station showed a sign reading “Goodfellas Barber Shop/Beauty Salon” hanging over shattered glass and debris outside the storefront. The outlet reported that the DEA confirmed federal charges are expected in the case.
A coordinated federal task-force effort
Multi-agency raids of this size are increasingly common as federal and local partners focus on kilogram-level suppliers instead of street-level sellers. A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin outlined similar coordinated operations involving the DEA and local sheriff’s departments that led to large fentanyl and methamphetamine seizures. Wisconsin Public Radio has also documented recent multi-agency takedowns in the Milwaukee area, which officials say are designed to disrupt supply chains feeding the local drug market.
What officers seized
Officials told WISN 12 News that the operation turned up roughly 18 pounds of methamphetamine, about one kilogram of fentanyl, half a kilogram of cocaine and one firearm. Two people were taken into custody as part of the coordinated actions. The station reported that search warrants were carried out at three additional locations linked to the same effort. DEA officials told 12 News they confirmed the seizures and again emphasized that federal charges are expected…