Donald Trump's FBI quietly arrested thousands across America this summer, as the president escalated his crackdown on urban crime.
City streets get more dangerous in the hot months, but the FBI sought to disrupt that pattern with Operation Summer Heat. The three-month initiative, which lasted from June 24 to Sept. 20, led to 8,629 arrests nationwide.
Agents tracked down over 30 wanted murderers and rescued over 1,000 child victims.
The FBI worked with state and local law enforcement, "executing federal warrants on violent criminals and fugitives, dismantling violent gangs and transnational criminal organizations, identifying and rescuing child victims, and resolving violent crime cases in Indian Country," the bureau said.
44,569 kilograms of cocaine, 421 kilograms of fentanyl, and 2,281 weapons were taken off the streets, the FBI added.
FBI Director Kash Patel is touting these numbers as proof that the Trump administration is making the nation safer.
"We are not messing around,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Our No. 1 mission is crushing violent crime. If you hurt a child, we’re coming for you. If you jack a car, we’re coming for you. If you’re polluting our neighborhoods with deadly drugs, we’re coming for you.”
“We are grateful for Director Kash Patel and our brave FBI agents who removed more than 8,600 violent offenders from our streets this summer,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under President Trump’s directive to make America safe again, this Department of Justice will continue prosecuting violent crime and dismantling criminal gangs who are wreaking havoc in our communities.”
Operation Summer Heat came as Trump ramped up a campaign to restore public order in cities run by soft-on-crime liberals. Democrats have vehemently resisted the president's crime crackdown, accusing him of a militarized assault on democracy.
Crime in Washington, D.C., declined after Trump sent the National Guard to patrol the streets in August. Trump has since ordered federal troops to deploy to cities like Portland, Oregon, and Memphis, Tennessee, which routinely ranks as one of the most dangerous cities in America.
Democrats in Oregon have sued to stop Trump from sending the National Guard. So far in Memphis, there have been over 100 arrests in a few days.
“Since Monday, 153 arrests have been made, including 5 gang members, 48 guns seized, and 5 missing children recovered,” Bondi said.
As part of Operation Summer Heat, the FBI surged resources to Memphis, Miami, Florida, and Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, leading to 417 arrests and 159 firearms seized.
Ten FBI field offices tracked down 750 fugitives, including 30 wanted for murder, and seized over 60 firearms.
