In what officials say is the largest case of its kind in recent years, local, state and federal authorities are announcing Monday that 39 people spanning four different alleged criminal organizations in Southwest Baltimore have been charged with drug distribution and other crimes.

Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said by listening over wiretaps, authorities were able to intervene before an alleged hit and at least one robbery — as well as interrupt a turf war that he said could have been “Brooklyn Day Part 2,” referring to the mass shooting at a block party in 2023.

Authorities collected 67 firearms, including ghost guns and guns equipped with rapid-fire trigger activators, 15 stolen vehicles, more than 7 kilograms of cocaine, 3 kilograms of heroin and fentanyl and $373,000 in cash believed to be drug proceeds.

Most of the defendants were said to be operating out of three adjacent neighborhoods just north of Carroll Park.

Twelve were said to be part of a crew operating out of the 1700 block of Lemmon Street in the Union Square neighborhood. Another 12 were alleged to operate in the 500 block of Millington Avenue in the Mill Hill neighborhood. Three were based in the 2000 block of West Pratt Street in Carrollton Ridge. Four additional defendants were also alleged to be operating in the 2800 block of Edmondson Avenue.

One man was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, and three others were charged with armed robbery. Most defendants were charged with drug trafficking and participating in a criminal organization. Investigations into other acts of violence were continuing, officials said.

The case began as a result of Mayor Brandon Scott’s “group violence reduction strategy,” which uses so-called “focused deterrence” to identify people at risk of shooting someone or being shot, and offers them services such as life coaching, behavioral health support, and housing assistance to change their trajectory.

“Working together, sharing intelligence, embedding prosecutors into law enforcement investigation, and leveraging our collective resources to hold those who violate the strategy’s mandate to put down the guns and make the decision to perpetuate harm and violence accountable,” Scott said in a statement.

Bates praised the efforts of Maryland U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron, an appointee of President Joe Biden, whose days could be numbered with the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Bates said state investigators initially had trouble getting resources for a wiretap, but that Barron intervened, and an intensive six-month investigation ensued.

“But for Erek Barron, this wouldn’t have gotten done,” Bates said in an interview.

It used to a be a hallmark of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for federal law enforcement agencies to conduct long-term investigations that culminated in the takedown of large criminal organizations in a given area of the city, with federal indictments wrapping together scores of allegations of violence and many of the defendants receiving lengthy prison sentences.

That has been largely missing during Barron’s tenure, which he says has been by design.

“What I had to deal with on my end was people saying, ‘They’re only going to get 18 months, 24 months’” if the case doesn’t develop into more serious allegations, Barron said.

“It’s like, so are you saying we should not do anything? If somebody has a gun and we know they have a history, wouldn’t we rather have them off the street for any length of time as opposed to spending that time shooting people?”

Barron said he pushed back, saying that research shows the most important thing is not the length of punishment, but “about being swift, certain and consistent.”

At least two of the defendants in the Southwest Baltimore investigation will be prosecuted in federal court.

As of Friday, there were 180 homicide victims this year in Baltimore, down nearly 24% from the 236 people who had been killed through same time last year, while non-fatal shootings were down 34%. And that comes on the heels of a historic reduction in homicides from 2022 to 2023.

Barron said Bates came to him about six months ago frustrated that he wasn’t able to get federal resources for the wiretap in the case announced Monday. Together, they made a “surprise” visit to lobby federal law enforcement leaders, they said, and cut through bureaucracy.

“To be able to take out four organizations terrorizing Southwest and West Baltimore, and to do it on a six-month time period — we haven’t seen a wire[tap] on this level in years,” Bates said.

Banner reporter Dylan Segelbaum contributed to this article.