U.S. authorities arrest, charge 23 gang members in Chicago

The Black Disciples are a national street gang that is prevalent throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, the U.S. Attorney's Office says. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch told a news conference that law enforcement seized firearms, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl after the multi-year investigation.

The leader and 22 members of the Black Disciples street gang have been arrested and charged with drug and gun trafficking on Chicago's South Side, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.

Among those arrested was alleged gang leader Darnell McMiller, 34, who is charged with distributing fentanyl-laced heroin in September 2019. The Black Disciples are a national street gang that is prevalent throughout Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, the U.S. Attorney's Office says.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John Lausch told a news conference that law enforcement seized firearms, cocaine, heroin and fentanyl after the multi-year investigation. Lausch said the probe was active well before the start of Operation Legend, a Trump administration initiative that last week sent federal agents to Chicago and other major cities to tackle violent crime.

The third-largest city has seen a spike in violent crime this summer, including a drive-by shooting by suspected gang members at a funeral last week that wounded 15 people.