FBI moves to dispatch 120 agents to D.C. streets as Trump vows crackdown on crime

The Trump administration has assigned FBI agents to work overnight shifts to combat carjackings and other crimes.

Updated
August 10, 2025 at 6:59 p.m. EDT today


U.S. Park Police perform a traffic stop on Friday in Washington. (Andrew Leyden/Getty Images)

By Perry Stein, Olivia George and Ellen Nakashima

The FBI has begun dispatching about 120 of its agents in overnight shifts to help local law enforcement prevent carjackings and violent crime in Washington, according to two people familiar with the matter, as President Donald Trump threatens a federal takeover of the nation’s capital.

Trump, who plans a news conference at the White House on Monday on this topic, compared the forthcoming action against D.C. crime to his administration’s aggressive crackdown against illegal immigration at the southern border, saying on Sunday that he plans to “immediately clear out the city’s homeless population and take swift action against crime.”

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By Perry Stein
Perry Stein covers the Justice Department and FBI for The Washington Post. Send her secure messages on Signal at perrystein.05 follow on X@perrystein

By Olivia George
Olivia George covers the impact of the Trump administration and the larger federal government on the D.C. area. Send her secure tips on Signal @OCGeorge.59.follow on XOliviaCGeorge

By Ellen Nakashima
Ellen Nakashima is an intelligence and national security reporter at The Washington Post. She's been a member of three Pulitzer prizewinning teams, for probing the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol, Russian interference in the 2016 election, and the hidden scope of government surveillance. Send her secure tips on Signal at Ellen.626 follow on X@nakashimae