Federal task force pledges summer surge in D.C., cites thousands of arrests and firearms seized

Federal law-enforcement leaders on the D.C. Safe Task Force announced an expanded summer surge of personnel and operations in Washington, D.C., saying the effort will be intensified ahead of the America 250 celebrations to reduce violent crime and protect visitors.

Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald and the task force chair described the surge as a coordinated, interagency effort that has already produced large-scale results. "The men and women of law enforcement in this country are extraordinary public servants," McDonald said, and officials pointed to nearly 13,000 arrests and more than 1,400 illegal firearms removed from the streets as evidence of recent progress.

The chair of the task force, the director of the U.S. Marshals Service (referred to in the briefing as Director Serralta), detailed participating agencies and promised additional operational commitments. "I am proud to say that thanks to the leadership of our president and this task force, Americans can walk around our beautiful capital again without worry that they will be a victim of a crime," the director said, and pledged continued marshals-led fugitive operations.

Officials named a long list of federal partners that will participate in the summer operations, including the U.S. Attorney's Office, U.S. Marshals Service, D.C. National Guard, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Park Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Metro Transit Police, Secret Service, Federal Protective Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Capitol Police, Amtrak police, and Metropolitan Police Department. The briefing highlighted agency-specific roles such as ATF expanding gun-tracing operations and HSI increasing street-level fraud and identity-theft investigations.

Officials also discussed a National Guard request described in the briefing: an additional 1,500 Guardsmen were requested, raising the total cited in remarks to roughly 5,000 personnel to support high-visibility presence at events. The task force said it will deploy a range of assets — from drones and helicopters to K-9 units and mounted patrols — to bolster patrols and response capabilities.

Questions from the press focused on the composition of arrests and the cost of the surge; officials said immigration-related arrests account for roughly 15% of reported arrests in their calculation and that specific fiscal totals for the surge were not provided during the briefing.

The briefing closed with officials reiterating that the operation will continue through the summer and that the task force aims to keep the city safe during America 250. No formal vote or new legislation was announced at the event.