Metro-east police sting results in 18 criminal charges, gun and drug seizures

Illinois State Police conducted a two-day violent crime suppression effort July 8-9 in St. Clair and Madison counties, focusing on East St. Louis and other metro-east communities, police said.

Police said troopers made 13 arrests and filed 18 criminal charges, including 15 felonies as a result of the sting.

Authorities reported 10 firearm-related charges and said seven firearms were seized or recovered. Troopers also seized 2 grams of cannabis and 6 grams of a controlled substance, police said.

In several of the arrests highlighted by the agency, troopers stopped vehicles in East St. Louis after observing Illinois Vehicle Code violations and recovered loaded firearms during probable-cause searches, according to a state police news release. Those stops occurred July 8, including near 25th and State streets and near Martin Luther King Drive and 5th Street, and July 9 near Illinois 111 and Lake Drive, police said. Charges were pending in those cases.

In another July 9 stop in the 300 block of North 69th Street, two suspects fled on foot, police said. Troopers later recovered two loaded firearms equipped with machine gun conversion devices and suspected cocaine believed to be connected to the stop, police said. Charges were pending.

The agency said personnel from several units, including ISP SWAT and air operations, assisted the Statewide Anti-Violence Enforcement team. Police said the department plans to continue using resources such as air support, technology, forensic services, investigators and increased patrols to combat violent crime.

Similar Illinois State Police stings dating back to June 2023 have, in total, netted 703 arrests and 333 gun seizures.