Federal crackdown in DC tops 1,000 arrests, 100+ guns

The federal crackdown on crime in Washington, D.C. has grown into a sweeping operation that has produced more than 1,000 arrests, seizures of dozens of firearms, and a dramatic extension of federal involvement in the city’s policing. Officials say the effort, which also includes National Guard troops and a broad roster of federal agencies, is aimed at restoring order in neighborhoods long marked by violence, even as questions linger about the data driving the narrative of safety and the long-term implications for local governance and civil liberties.

Arrests and seizures have surged since the operation began earlier in August. Officials said that on a single day over the weekend there were dozens of additional arrests and multiple firearms recovered, contributing to totals that surpassed 1,000 arrests and more than 100 firearms seized across the district. In recent days, thousands of federal personnel, including FBI agents, Homeland Security investigators, and agents from the IRS and DEA, have been deployed alongside the District’s Metropolitan Police Department, with the National Guard activated and stationed at multiple sites around the city. The effort has also included the...