The FBI announced it has made over 6,000 arrests and seized more than 1,300 illegal firearms as part of the Trump administration's crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., marking the first anniversary of the initiative.
FBI Director Kash Patel stated that homicides in the nation's capital have fallen by 44% over the past year, attributing this decline to the enhanced federal law enforcement presence. The crackdown, launched by President Donald Trump, involved increasing federal resources and deploying hundreds of federal agents and National Guard troops to combat rising crime.
"Last summer President Trump made the historic decision to surge federal resources to Washington D.C. to crack down on crime – and thanks to his brilliant leadership, the work of brave FBI agents and our law enforcement partners, and the support of our Justice Department, our nation’s capital is now safer than it’s been in decades," Patel told Fox News Digital.
According to FBI figures, the enforcement effort has resulted in 6,121 arrests, 237 search warrants, and the recovery of $252,592 in cash, in addition to the significant number of drug and illegal firearm seizures. The federal surge followed a period of high-profile violent crimes in the city.
Patel affirmed that the federal enforcement effort will continue, stating, "The greatest country on earth should have a capital city reflecting it – where American taxpayers can live, visit, and petition their government without fear of violent crime."
He added, "Thanks to President Trump and brave law enforcement, one year later we have made historic progress to that end, and the work will only continue."
The initiative, known as Safe and Beautiful, aimed to address public safety concerns in the nation's capital. The deployment of the National Guard to assist in policing on American soil had previously drawn criticism from some Democratic leaders, including then-Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser. Patel's remarks were made in an interview with Kayleigh McEnany and detailed other FBI achievements including significant fraud network dismantlement and child predator investigations.