465 arrests in DC after the start of the operation

In August 2025, President Donald Trump launched a security operation in Washington D.C. that resulted in 465 arrests over the course of one week. Attorney General Pam Bondi, appointed by Trump, reported that those detained face charges including homicide, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. During the operation, 68 weapons were seized, and in a single night, 52 arrests were made and 9 firearms were removed from the streets. Among those captured was at least one member of the MS-13 gang, and nearly half of the arrests occurred in high-crime areas of the capital.
The intervention followed Trump’s declaration of a “Public Safety Emergency” on August 11, which allowed him to take control of the local police and deploy 800 National Guard troops. Subsequently, an additional 900 soldiers were sent from West Virginia, Ohio, Mississippi, and South Carolina to reinforce the operation. Federal agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and ICE also joined the effort, significantly increasing the federal government’s presence in the city.
The local response was forceful: Democratic officials in Washington condemned the move as a “hostile takeover” and filed a lawsuit against the federal government.