As carjackings continue to plague Milwaukee, suspects involved are facing federal charges

MILWAUKEE -- They are crimes making headlines night after night -- carjackings. We are now seeing that as more suspects are arrested, they are facing federal charges.

There has been an explosion of carjackings in Milwaukee over the last couple of years.

"The U.S. Attorney's Office is definitely prosecuting more of these cases," said U.S. Attorney Gregory Haanstad.

Over the past few months, more of these suspects have faced federal charges.

"It's part of this broader, anti-violence effort," said Haanstad.

Haanstad is the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. He says stopping these crimes is part of a collaborative effort.

"What we're doing is working with the state, federal and local law enforcement agencies to determine which agencies can best handle, or should best handle different types of cases," said Haanstad.

In just the last week, we've seen a handful of examples.

Indictments were handed down against three suspects accused of stealing two cars from a woman, another suspect accused of going on a two-day carjacking spree, and two men sentenced for a string of carjackings in Greenfield and Oak Creek.

Often, sentences carry mandatory punishments if a firearm is used.

Haanstad says the key is working together with all stakeholders.

"It's one of the most important aspects of our approach," Haanstad said.

It's an effort to put a stop to carjackings and other violent crimes.

"When we pool those resources together, I think we see some good results -- but there's still a ways to go," said Haanstad.

The U.S. Attorney says we could expect to see more of these cases prosecuted federally in the coming months.