Kash Patel says FBI will continue D.C. crime fight until all safe
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EXCLUSIVE: FBI Director Kash Patel said that his agency will continue pouring resources into combating crime in Washington, D.C. until “every community is safe.”
Patel said in a Wednesday post on X that 550 people have been arrested in Washington, D.C. since President Donald Trump moved to federalize the Metropolitan Police Department. Of those arrests, 66 were on Tuesday.
Patel said the FBI was involved in 41 of the arrests on Tuesday night, with eight drug seizures and six illegal firearms recovered.
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FBI Director Kash Patel testifies before the House Appropriations Committee in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 7, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Patel testified before the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Subcommittee about the FBI’s FY2026 budget request. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“The men and women of the FBI, working side by side with our local law enforcement partners, have taken hundreds of dangerous criminals off the streets of Washington, D.C. This is proof of what happens when good cops are empowered to do their jobs the right way. Under President Trump’s leadership, we’re bringing historic resources to this fight because crime in our nation’s capital is unacceptable – and we will continue until every community is safe,” Patel said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
A White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital that Tuesday night’s efforts by law enforcement yielded 91 arrests, including 25 illegal immigrants. The illegal immigrants arrested on Tuesday night had criminal backgrounds, including burglary, threat to injure or kidnap a person, destruction of property and more.
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The FBI and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) conduct a traffic stop near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on Aug. 14, 2025. (Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)
An MS-13 member previously convicted of drug possession and driving while intoxicated was arrested in Washington, D.C. on Monday night, Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X.
“At the direction of [President Donald Trump], our nation’s capital is a SAFER place—and we are just getting started. 52 arrests were made last night, including an MS-13 gang member, and 9 firearms were taken off the streets,” Bondi wrote. “Since our mission began, there have been a total of 465 arrests, 68 guns seized, and charges for homicide, narcotics, and firearm offenses. Nearly half of these arrests occurred in the high-crime areas of DC. Residents and tourists alike appreciate this extraordinary effort by our DC and Federal law enforcement partners.”
The Department of Justice announced on Tuesday it’s investigating whether crime data was manipulated by police in Washington, D.C. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said: “D.C. gave Fake Crime numbers in order to create a false illusion of safety.”
The FBI on Wednesday announced the agency will publish reported crime data monthly, instead of less-frequent updates.
When addressing Trump’s federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department during a town hall on Aug. 12, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the president’s actions highlight the need for a Democratic House majority.
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Members of the U.S. Secret Service and FBI detain a man outside the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., U.S., Aug. 14, 2025. (REUTERS/Nathan Howard)
“This is a time where community needs to jump in. We all need to, to do what we can in our space, in our lane, to protect our city and to protect our autonomy, to protect our home rule, and get to the other side of this guy, and make sure we elect a Democratic House so that we have a backstop to this authoritarian push,” Bowser said.
Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Emma Colton contributed to this report.