Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey answers questions regarding the increased enforcement of open-air drug markets in Minneapolis on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - As authorities continue with Operation Summer Heat, targeting violent gangs and drug trafficking throughout the Twin Cities and the United States, a coordinated effort to increase enforcement of open-air drug markets in Minneapolis is expected to be announced on Thursday.
Minneapolis open-air drug markets
What we know:
According to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, several city agencies and partners will begin an "all-hands-on-deck approach" toward enforcement of public narcotics usage and paraphernalia, such as pipes and needles, being discarded.
Frey said that while city officials will continue to offer mental health and housing services to those in need, law enforcement will begin to "proactively cite and arrest individuals engaged in illegal activity, targeting drug dealers and those who exploit people."
Dig deeper:
City officials collectively say that a combination of the Minneapolis Police Department, Minneapolis Park Police, Metro Transit, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office and more will work to install new cameras that monitor illegal activity, increase officer foot patrols and cite or arrest both drug dealers and users.
Several indigenous organizations will also be partnering with the city to "strengthen the commitment to enhanced public safety while expanding opportunities for healing and recovery throughout Minneapolis."
What they're saying:
"You can get services, and you can get better… But if you don’t accept those services, you can’t continue to hurt our communities and make them less safe," Frey said on Thursday. "Outreach and enforcement are not competing strategies; they go hand-in-hand… After years of outreach we cannot stand by while drug use continues to harm our neighbors."
"We shouldn’t be arresting our way out of addiction, but we can’t and won’t ignore it," said Minneapolis Police Department’s Assistant Chief Mark Klukow. "Open-air drug use will not be tolerated. The surrounding communities should not bear the burden of these issues. Everyone deserves a safe place to live, work and play in Minneapolis."
"People struggling with addiction need help. Drug dealers and traffickers who profit from addiction need accountability. Neighborhoods need safety. Government needs to act," said Minneapolis City Council Vice President Jamal Osman, Ward 6. "Open-air drug markets prey on people who are already struggling, put children and families in harm’s way, and force people in recovery to walk past the very crisis they are fighting to survive. The community has been clear: we cannot keep managing this pain the same way and call it compassion."
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DOJ charges 25 in drug trafficking investigation
U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen said two federal indictments charge alleged members of the Family Mob and G Block gangs with drug trafficking crimes. FOX 9's Karen Scullin has more.
Operation Summer Heat
The backstory:
On Tuesday, the U.S. attorney for Minnesota unsealed indictments against 25 alleged members of drug trafficking gangs based in Minneapolis.
Authorities allege that the two gangs — known as G-block and the Family Mob — operated along two corridors of Minneapolis, and now face charges ranging from conspiracy to distribute controlled substances to firearms offenses.
Court documents claim that the organizations operated open-air drug markets, distributed fentanyl and fueled violent crime along Lake Street and Park Avenue South and near 19th Street and Nicollet Avenue South.